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AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY 



IN THE DOMAIN OF 



r HYPNOTISM 



Dr. R. von KRAFFT-EBING 

PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AND NERVOUS DISEASES IN THE ROYAL UNIVERSITY OF 
GRAZ, AUSTRIA 



Translated from the Clerman by 

CHARLES G. CHADDOCK, M.D, 

ASSISTANT PHYSICIAN, NORTHERN MICHIGAN ASYLUM 




NEW YORK & LONDON 

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 

i'ht Jlnickcrbocher ^ress 

1889 






», I''/ \ 




et^j 



o 



y 



COPYRIGHT BY 

CHARLES G. CHADDOCK. M.D. 



Press of 

G. P. Putnam's Sons 

New York 



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CONTENTS 



Author's Preface 

Author's Preface to the Second Edition 
Translator's Preface ..... 

Preliminary History of the Patient 
Present Condition ...... 

Course of the Disease ...... 

Dr. Jendrassik's Experiments .... 

Daily Note-Book of Hypnotic Experiments at Graz 

Preliminary Remarks ..... 

Daily Note-Book ...... 

Demonstration before the Medical Society at Steier 
M.AKK, Nov. 14, 1887 ..... 

Thirteenth Monthly Meeting of the Medical Society 

Dec. 12, 1887 

Conclusions 

A Final Word .... ... 



PAGE 

V 

ix 
xi 

I 
20 

23 
26 

31 
34 

37 

49 

127 



T 



PREFACE. 



In the latter part of October, 1887, a favorable 
accident brought to the observation of the author, 
in the clinic for nervous diseases under his direc- 
tion, a person extraordinarily suitable for the study 
of hypnotism. In so far as humane considerations 
and therapeutic judgment allowed, this opportunity, 
which occurs so infrequently, was liberally used in 
the interest of scientific investigation for the study 
of the questions of hypnotism. A clinical demon- 
stration of the patient before the hearers in the 
clinic made the hypnotic "wonder" known to the 
medical circles of Graz. At the request of the 
president of the medical society of Steiermark the 
demonstrations of hypnotic experiments were made 
before that society, to which the patient, after per- 
suasion, reluctantly consented. 

The reports of the meetings of the society 
contain the most important facts concerning the 
experiments made. {Oesterr. drztl. Vercinzeitung, 
1888, Nos. I and 2.) 

The criticism of these experiments was various. 
While the large majority of the members of this 
eminent medical society could not avoid the con- 
clusion that here were offered phenomena in the 
experimental investigation of nature which were 



VI PREFACE. 

genuine and highly interesting, yet, on the other 
hand, the value of the experiments made and the 
honesty of the patient were called in question ; and 
voices were loud in the assertion that one was here 
dealing with professional hypnotism and simulation. 

The objections worthy of consideration corre- 
spond in all essentials with those raised in the 
mind of the medical circle of Berlin against Dr. 
Moll. {Berliner klin. Wochenschrift, December,, 
1887.) But new was the demand — remarkable to 
every one acquainted with hypnotism — that the 
experimenter, after having hypnotized the subject,, 
should give the completion of the experiments into^ 
the hands of another experimenter. 

The truth of the assertion, that the person who 
very reluctantly consented to allow the experiments 
before this society, is a swindler, I must uncondi- 
tionally deny. 

I cannot accept the very widely entertained 
notion, that all hysterical persons are inclined to 
deception and simulation. It is opposed by numer- 
ous exceptions, and depends often on superficial 
observation and imperfect knowledge ; since auto- 
suggestive self-deception is often confounded with 
intentional deception. 

The person who was the subject of the following 
observations avoided experimentation and demon- 
stration, and was very glad when she was left in 
peace. Her statements concerning her previous 
life history are shown by the independent testi- 
mony of authorities and private individuals to be 
true, with the exception of romantic auto-sugges- 



PREFACE. Vll 

tive embellishments, delusions of memory, and 
gaps in her life history which had been lived in 
conditions of abnormal unconsciousness, and could 
not be remembered. If the phenomena the patient 
presented were not genuine, then she was the most 
accomplished dissembler that ever lived ; and, too, 
she must have made for her purpose special studies 
in the school of Charcot and in that of Nancy. 

But fortunately hypnotism, as a biological phe- 
nomenon of nature, offers symptoms empirically 
true, clear, and objective, the proof of which is 
decisive. It is hoped that the following pages will 
convince the interested reader that the author was 
not concerned with a dissembler ; and that the fol- 
lowing investigations, read in the interest of the 
physiology, psychology, and pathology of the nerv- 
ous system, will be of no less value to moral thera- 
peutics and legal medicine. Involuntarily i think 
of the motto placed by Braid, the scientific founder 
of hypnotism, at the beginning of his work : " Un- 
limited doubt, like unconditioned credulity, is the 
child of mental weakness." 

At first I was not without doubts, but daily 
observation for several months removed them ; and 
the facts have compelled me to acknowledge hyp- 
notism to be of the greatest importance as a source 
for the enrichment of our knowledge of the physiol- 
ogy of the human mind, and of the relations existing 
between the psychical and the corporeal world. 

Significant and practically important facts for 
experimental and psychical therapeutics will, I am 
convinced, come from this source. 



viii PREFACE. 

On account of this conviction I believed that, in 
the interest of the advancement of scientific knowl- 
edge concerning so many questions of practical, 
social, and legal importance in the domain of hyp- 
notism, I should lay before a wider circle of medi- 
cal readers the observations and proofs made by 
numerous colleagues and myself ; and it is hoped 
that science and truth will be furthered by diverse 
and unprejudiced criticism. Moreover, my deter- 
mination was influenced in no small degree by two 
facts which are clearly established by the following 
observations, and which, in any case, are important 
as aids to medical and forensic judgment, viz. : (i) 
that the phenomena of hypnotism are of a psycho- 
suggestive nature ; (2) that post-hypnotic sugges- 
tion leads to the establishment of auto-hypnosis. 

The Author. 

Graz, May, 1888. 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



Contrary to expectation, the author's short 
study has excited so much interest in scientific 
circles that the first edition is exhausted. The 
author willingly complied with the wish of the 
publishers to prepare a second edition, since many 
observations and facts concerning the patient have 
been recorded since the appearance of the first 
edition which are useful in throwing light on the 
darker sides of hypnotism. These, together with 
notes concerning the patient's life from June, 1888, 
on, are reported faithfully and objectively in this 
second edition. 

The text of the first edition has been carefully 
revised, and the conclusion has received numerous 
additions. 

May this little study in its new form win approval, 
and do its share in the scientific purification of the 
domain of hypnotism. 

The Author. 

Graz, December, i888. 



L 



TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 



Professor V. Krafft-Ebing's brochure is its own 
warrant for its translation. It is given to so few 
investigators, even though they be especially con- 
cerned with the problems of neuropathology, 
to study facts of mental science like these here 
recorded, that the history of a single case becomes 
of great value. In this instance it is the observa- 
tion of a writer whose name has long been con- 
nected with the progress of knowledge of the 
phenomena comprehended in the term "insanity," 
and to whose opinion alienists accord the con- 
sideration due an authority. It is hoped that in its 
new form the record loses nothing of the scientific 
value of the original. 

Fraverse City, Mich. 



AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN THE 
DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 



PRELIMINARY HISTORY. 

On the evening of October 20, 1887, lima S., 
Hungarian, aged twenty-nine, single, merchant's 
daughter, was brought to the hospital by the police 
authorities of Graz, in order to have her mental con- 
dition determined. The cause of her arrest was a 
theft. S. had taken lodgings two days before at No. 
33 Kepler Street, and, on the 20th, she stole from a 
servant, who was at the time taking a siesta in the 
landlady's parlor, a silver watch, with chain and 
charm, and, from the landlady, two napkins and a 
sheet. Some hours later S. was found in an inn 
by the police. The stolen articles were found on 
her person. She seemed mentally confused, and 
knew nothing of the acquisition or possession of 
the articles.' 

There was also found on her person the follow- 
ing, a forged recommendation : 

" I hereby state that I. S. was employed by me 
as seamstress and maid from February 2, 1882, until 

' The trial for this theft was discontinued on December 30, 1887, as a 
result of the medical testimony to the effect that the accused was in an un- 
conscious state at the time of the deed. 



/ 



/ 



2 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUD Y IN 

to-day, and that she conducted herself to my satis- 
faction ; so that I can recommend her warmly to 
everybody. 

Mrs. G. K." 

" BUDAPESTH, Oct, 30, 1887." 

At the morning visit October 21st, I found S. 
in a very cloudy, absent-minded condition, with 
glazed stare. She answered questions about her 
past life and health only partly and dreamily. Ap- 
parently she did not know where she was. She 
remained in this condition ' until the morning of 
the 2 2d. 

On that day, at the morning visit, I found her 
with an entirely different expression of countenance, 
mentally free and without mimicry. She said that 
she had escaped from Prof. W.'s clinic in Pesth, 
having found the constant hypnotizing unbearable, 
and she had been told that she could find admission 
and protection in a convent in Graz, She was 
unable to tell how she came from Pesth to Graz. 
She had come to herself again that day, and with 
difficulty convinced herself that she was in a hos- 
pital. With innocent mien she declared that she 
knew nothing of the theft committed two days 
before, and likewise she denied that she had been 
at the police station. 

According to the statements of the patient, her 
father was a drinker, and died by suicide, having 
allowed a train to run over him. Her mother was 
sickly, and died paralyzed, as a result of apoplexy. 
Mother's father shot himself while insane. A 

' Auto-hypnosis, as the later observations show. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 3 

brother and a sister died by suicide. A sister was 
subject to hysteria convulszva. 

The patient expressed the fear that she, like her 
relatives, would some day end her life by suicide. 
She abhorred suicide, and tried to put aside all 
thought of it, but the impulse to it often violently 
came upon her. Often had she been near the deed, 
but, thus far, she had been able to control herself 
always at the right moment. Would not this sad 
fate of her family be fulfilled in her case ? The 
patient asserted that, in her early childhood, she 
had been free from serious illness. The menstrual 
functions were established in her eighteenth year. 
Thereafter she was very irregular, the menses being 
absent often for months. 

The followingf further statements concerninof her 
health and life history are taken from the autobi- 
ography which she wrote for me in December, 1887 : 

" I attended the convent school until my four- 
teenth year. I fell ill at that time, and suffered 
from fever for some months, and, as a result, had 
chlorosis. It was on a winter morningf. In the 
town it was market-day. I stood at the window, 
and watched the movements of the people. Our 
convent stood on the bank of the river Th., oppo- 
site the famous place of pilgrimage Y. At that 
time there was no bridge, and the crossing was 
made on a raft. Thus it was on the morning men- 
tioned. Men, women, wagons, horses — all hurried 
to get across as quickly as possible. But, when in 
the middle of the stream, the raft broke. Men and 
animals, in a mass, sank in the water between the 



9 



ST' 

Mi 



4 ^JV EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

m floating ice. What became of me at this sight I 

\| do not know. I was told afterwards that I stood 

I there for hours as stiff as a statue, and that it was 

impossible to obtain any sign of life from me.'' 
The physician who treated me often put me to 
sleep, and in this way I recovered. After that the 
sisters of the convent now and then put me to 
sleep in joke. I slept soundly, and did not know ; 
what happened to me. 

" In the following years it more frequently hap- 
pened that my limbs suddenly became stiff. In 
such crises, which would last ten minutes and often 
an hour, I tried with all my might to move only a 
finger or to make a sound, but it was impossible. 
/ Toward the end of an attack I had a feeling that 

y all my blood was mounting into my head and beat- 

ing there. 

1 '' After such attacks, which occurred most fre- 

/ quently during the night, I felt unspeakably weak 

on the following day. 

rv " In my sixteenth year the Lady Superior of the 

jl convent asked me to take orders. I felt no pecul- 

iar vocation for the life of the order, but since all 
loved me, since I feared to leave the quiet place in 

I which my childhood had been passed, and since it 

was my father's cherished desire, I consented. The 1 1 
three years of my novitiate were nearly over. For 
the last time I received permission to spend my 
vacation at home. There I became acquainted 
with my cousin. He tried to persuade me not to 
return to the convent, because he loved me,, and 

I ' Catalepsy from fright. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 5 

could not live without me. I had never heard 
such talk. What could I say ? I knew that I was 
unfortunate, since I, too, loved him. My father 
was beside himself when he heard of this intended 
marriage. Emerich besought me to go with him 
without my father's consent, but I could not do 
that. 

'" I returned to the convent with a broken heart. 
The day on which I was to take the veil approached. 
Dull, indifferent, I spent the night in the chapel, 
but I could not pray. I went to the altar, not as 
a bride of Christ, but to carry a broken heart to 
the grave. The ceremony was over ; I seemed to 
be in a dream. Time passed ; 1 learned to forget, 
if not to suffer. I was respected by the sisters, and 
enjoyed the favor of the Lady Superior. Then a 
stroke, as of lightning from Heaven, fell on me, 
and since that my life has been as nothing. ' 

' The following narrative agrees almost word for word with a letter sent 
lay S. to her former confessor as a farewell and justification, and which was 
intercepted November 1 1, 1887. At that time she was earnestly planning 
suicide. The conclusion of this letter, which bears the stamp of veracity, 
runs : " What will become of me? I am looked upon as a thief. Every- 
body has deserted me. [Actually her whole family.] This life has become 
so burdensome to me that I will end it — as one casts off an old garment. 
God will pardon me." 

The patient communicated exactly the same story to her brother five 
years ago. The identical reproduction at different times of the convent 
life speaks against the idea of its invention. There is always the possibility 
that it is the reproduction of an idea originating in hallucinatory delirium. 
As a fact, after her escape from the convent, the patient had an attack of 
hysterical insanity, with hallucinations, but recovered from this episodical 
psychosis completely. Then she ought to have corrected her delusion. To- 
day the patient still believes in the truth of her convent life. One is fully 
convinced that she believes that she actually lived it. 

Though I never detected the patient in an intentional lie, I could get 
from her no further explanation of the matter, since her power to reproduce 
original conceptions is defective and the memory generally weak ; and 



6. AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

" Until now I have been silent concerning this 
terrible discovery, which an accident revealed to- 
me ; but I think the death of the one to whom I 
bound myself to be silent, absolves me from my 
promise. You are the second ' for whom I have 
written this ; yet it is hard, very hard, for me. 

"Among the sisters of the convent was a Sister 
Beatrix, the secretary of the Lady Superior, who' 
was attached to me in an almost culpable degree. 
I considered her the example of all that was noble 
and good. Had she not been the teacher and 
guide of my youth ? Ah, how I deceived myself ? 

"One evening we went from the refectory to our 
cells. I intended to retire immediately, when Sis- 
ter Beatrix entered and asked me to help her with 
her work. I consented. We might have worked 
until about ten o'clock, when I began to feel tired., 
Then she said I should allow myself to be put to 
sleep, and I could then work more easily. I 
allowed it. I awoke with a feeling as if I were 
seized from behind and could not go on. With 
force I tore myself loose, and the beads of my 

because of the tendency to identify present with past situations, and the 
faulty localization of events in past time ; and, besides, because her fancy- 
is very lively. One gains the impression that the kernal of the matter is 
true, but fancifully presented. Her relations judged her romantic story in. 
this way. To a confidential inquiry of the abbess of the convent, I received 
the answer that it was all invention. The letter contains so much untruth, 
that it cannot be considered as an authentic source of knowledge. 

Not without importance is the statement of her relatives that the patient, 
in her insanity, after her escape from the convent, was constantly defending 
herself from a hallucinatory figure, and constantly delirious about an out- 
rage which she fortunately escaped and an oath which she must keep ; and 
that, after her recovery, she besought her relatives to repeat nothing of 
what she had said in her delirium. 

' Correctly the third. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. f 

rosary rolled at my feet. The cross of my rosary 
had become caught in something, and I could not 
go on. I held an unfamiliar object in my hand. I 
wanted to cry out in terror, but some one pre- 
vented me, and pulled me along. I was so terri- 
fied that I followed without resistance. Arrived 
in the cell, I became aware that I held the cash- 
box of the Lady Superior in my hand, and Sister 
Beatrix stood before me pale and trembling. I 
asked what all this could mean. She implored 
me, and promised to tell every thing, if I would 
vow to be silent about the events of the niorht. 
Overcome with pity and surprise, I gave the 
promise. 

" She confessed to me that for years she had ar- 
dently loved the bishop's servant, and had always 
hoped that some time she would come into possession 
of money enough to enable her to flee with her lover 
to some foreign land. It happened that to-day, as 
she was making up accounts with the Lady Superior, 
the latter received a certain sum for the purchase of 
some property, and locked it in the cash-box. At 
the same time Sister Beatrix had just undertaken 
the care of the convent entrance, and she resolved 
not to allow this opportunity to pass unused. 

"She could or would not carry out the deed alone, 
and so determined to use me for the commission 
of her crime. In sleep she led me into an unused 
corridor, of the existence of which I was entirely 
ignorant. From there she pointed out to me the 
work-room of the abbess, and told me to bring the 
cash-box out. If I had not accidentally caught 



8 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

my rosary, I would have had no knowledge of this 
wicked deed. She tried to persuade me to flee 
with her, since I, too, was unfitted for convent life. 
. " When I heard this sister, who had preached vir- 
tue and morality to me from childhood, and whom 
I had always taken for an example, now kneeling 
before me making such a confession ; when I saw 
her passionately excited face, nameless bitterness 
took possession of me. Thus she had destroyed 
my faith in humanity and all goodness and nobility. 

"The sight of this woman was exceedingly pain- 
ful to me, since nothing excused her insane act. 
Was I not much younger than she? Did not I, 
too, love with all my heart ? But since I had put 
on the dress of the order, even the thought of him 
had seemed a sin. 

"In that bitter hour, besides self-control, I learned 
to know mankind. In that hour I grew old, my 
heart hard. 

" Green sod now covers the orave of the woman 
who did so much harm and ruined mine and her 
own life. After what had happened I did not 
understand my position, and knew not what to do. 

" The matin bell rang. The sister left me, say- 
ing : ' By the time I return you will have decided 
that I am right.' 

," For fear, she locked the door of my cell. 

" I knew that she could not return before an 
hour, and I considered what I should do. I would 
gladly have taken the money back, but I did not 
know the way ; and my rosary was a mute witness 
against me. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 9 

"I would not flee with her, the miserable one. I 
know not how the thought came to me, but I wished 
to see her also suffer who had made me so miserable. 
Likewise, she should not enjoy the fruit of her act. 
The window of my cell, which was on the second 
floor, opened on the garden. I took the cash-box 
and sprang out of the window. How long I lay, I 
know not. When I came to myself I heard the 
^ De prof Hindis'' in the chapel. I knew the Mass 
would soon end, and hastened to collect my 
strength and go. I went to the kitchen, changed 
the dress of my order for a servant's dress, stole 
behind the chapel, waited until it was empty, went 
to the sacristy, and laid the cash-box among the 
things used in the Mass, being sure that it would 
be found there. From there I reached the open 
street and hurried alonof. From ag-itation and loss 
of blood, I could hardly stand. I only remember 
that I seemed to see frightful, yelling apparitions, 
to hear a wild running behind me, and to have a 
red cloth held before my eyes by terrible figures. 
I ran faster and faster, the apparitions after me, 
until I reached my father's house, where I pulled the 
bell with a last effort and sank down unconscious. 

" For weeks I lay between life and death. * Over- 
excitement of the nerves and fever" was the diag- 
nosis of the physicians. My strong constitution 
finally overcame the disease. After death-like 
sleep I slowly recovered, physically, but in my 
mind it was night for fully two years. These two 
years are stricken out of my memory. Awakened 
as from a deep dream, I believed myself to be still 



lO AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

in the convent, and could not understand how I 
came to be in my father's house. Little by little I 
recalled that frightful night. It seemed that it was 
only yesterday. With every indulgence I was told 
my past condition. I recognized with horror that 
my father and all were of the opinion that I had 
stolen the money and then, driven by remorse, had 
put it in the sacristy. It cut me to the heart, but 
I left them in their belief. (!) I had vowed silence 
to that miserable one ! And Emerich, too, be- 
lieved in my guilt. I saw it in him. Ah, I was 
nearly insane. Indeed, he knew not that I had 
been the blind tool of a devilish woman ! From 
this deep disgrace into which I had fallen, only an 
infinite love could save me. This love for me — he 
had it not. His presence and pity drove me 
almost crazy. Life seemed unbearable. Often I 
wandered on the bank of the Th. considering 
which was deeper — my sorrow or the glittering 
water below ; but the memory of the loving God 
held me from my cruel design. I could no longer 
endure the reproachful look of my father, and de- 
termined to go away. One day he told me that 
Emerich had asked for my hand. I felt that it was 
too late ; for it was clear to my soul that happiness 
for us two was impossible. 

" To be sure, by his request for my hand he had 
removed my disgrace, which would certainly have 
driven me to suicide, but he had not erased those 
bitter hours. His doubt of me lay like a curse be- 
tween us. 

" Some days later, my father went away on 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. II 

business. I thought the time had come to carry- 
out my plan. But I needed money ! With suitable 
pretexts I sought to borrow some from relatives 
and friends, but in vain. I could help myself in no 
other way, and took 600 F. from my father's cash- 
box, for which I begged him in a letter to forgive 
me, and authorized him to make good the sum 
immediately from my fortune left to me by my 
mother. I was clearly conscious of what I lost 
when I secretly left my father's house. 

"From that time forth no one protected me 
from evil experiences and the insight into the 
darkness of life. However, I felt in myself the 
strength, as many thousands have, to live on and 
•do my duty with troubled, weary heart. Thus I 
found renunciation and at last rest. I realized 
that only a completely new and active life could 
cure me. My plan was to go to A. and try to get 
a suitable situation as governess. Being without 
documents and testimonials, I was everywhere 
refused. I read in the newspapers that my father 
was seeking for me everywhere. Besides, I was 
persecuted with shameless proposals, which sent 
the blood into my face, and which an unprotected 
girl could not escape. In this situation the idea 
came to me to put on male clothing, and in this 
way surely to escape from this persecution. No 
sooner thought of than done. No one would have 
thought to seek the girl of yesterday in the pale 
student of to-day. 

" The tongue of scandal condemned me later for 
this act. I read in the newspaper that a teacher 



12 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

was wanted at a place in the country. I went 
there, found favor, and became the teacher' of two 
little girls, aged seven and nine respectively. I was 
two years in this position. The quiet teacher with 
the girlish face was loved. The lady of the house 
gave me clearly to understand that I could be more 
to her than a teacher. She did not suspect my 
true sex ! On this account I left this house and 
determined to go to Pesth." 

The patient states further that her attempts to 
obtain a situation were unsuccessful, and that a 
swindler, under the pretext of obtaining a situation 
for her and requiring a bond for this purpose, 
cheated her out of 200 F. Devoid of means, she 
decided to make use of her skill in needle-work, 
and put on female clothing again. Before this 
plan was carried out she was successful in obtain- 
ing a place at the B. F. railway, with a monthly 
salary of 40 F. (in the beginning of the fall of 1 88 1). 
She remained in this situation a year and a halL 
In order not to betray her sex, she was compelled 
to carouse and play with her companions. In 
time the situation became repugnant to her. She 
gave up her place and went to the capital in order 
to try to earn her living honestly in female garb. 
By application to her landlady she was successful 
in obtaining a place as seamstress in a house of 
high respectability. 

(Autobiography.) " I had been there several 

' Authoritatively proved. The patient forged papers under the name 
of Julius Horvath. She also confessed the forgery of the papers to me ; 
and she remembered this fact because she had done it while in a lucid 
state, and excused it by the necessity of her situation at that time. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 1 3. 

weeks and was satisfied. What then happened to 
me I cannot now recall, but it is literally true, 
though incomprehensible. One day I found my- 
self in jail, and learned that I had stolen all the 
silver plate of my employer, which had lain openly 
on the table, had sold it, and with the proceeds 
gone to the city authorities and complained against 
myself as a thief." 

The patient was taken to the observation ward 
of Rochus Hospital in Pesth (May 22, 1885). 

Prof. Laufenaner has published in the Hungarian 
weekly medical journal, Orvosi hetilap, 1885, No. 
31, interesting communications concerning the pa- 
tient, partly correcting the foregoing account, to- 
gether with an opinion. 

I completed these statements by facts which 
the patient's worthy brother placed at my disposal. 
The patient was endowed with an imaginative, 
reserved nature, and was visionary and dreamy, 
often being censured for this by her father. From 
her seventh year she was a day scholar at the con- 
vent school. In 1874 the abbess persuaded the 
parents and the daughter that she should live in 
the convent, in order that she might educate her- 
self for a teacher and later support herself as a 
governess. The patient entered to qualify herself 
as a teacher (not as a novitiate), and remained 
some years in the convent ; and while on a vacation 
at home she began a love affair with an engineer 
and loved him passionately, surrendering herself 
to him sexually. When her father learned of her 
conduct, he immediately sent his daughter back to 



:i4 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

the convent. However, she continued a corre- 
spondence with her lover and no longer did well in 
the convent. She received reprimand after repri- 
mand, and escaped on the night of February 2, 
1879, t)y jumping out of her window, in this way 
injuring her head. She came home bleeding and 
in the greatest excitement, and had severe hystero- 
epileptic attacks. She fell ill with hallucinatory 
insanity and lay in delirium until October, 1879. 
She was often unconscious, but recovered com- 
pletely. The exact time of her recovery is uncer^ 
tain. The brother denies that she was looked on 
with reproach at home and regarded as a thief 
after her illness. Therefore, the patient must have 
been still at that time under the influence of de- 
lusions. 

All further particulars hitherto given by the 
patient herself, with the exception of unessentials 
and certain embellishments and incorrect localiza- 
tions in time, may be founded on truth. On 
account of hystero-epileptic attacks the patient 
went to the Rochus Hospital in Pesth for a short 
time in the summer of 1883, and in January, 1885. 
Certain autohypnotic states are proved by the 
brothers statements. In these states she left home 
^vithout cause and reappeared only after weeks, 
knowing nothing of the events of her absence. 

She must have been in such an extraordinary 
condition when in April, 1885, she was arrested for 
the theft of the silver plate above mentioned. 
Since, when accused, she declared she knew nothing 
■of it, showed symptoms of perverse sexual feeling. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 1 5 

and had very frequent hystero-epileptic seizures, 
she was taken to the observation ward of Rochus 
Hospital on May 22, 1885. The following is taken 
from the report of her condition at that time : 

" R. hemianaesthesia with the sense organs in- 
volved. Tremor in the upper extremities, especially 
the right ; deep reflexes increased. Genitals nor- 
mally developed. Vegetative organs without path- 
ological symptoms. Genuine hysterical character. 
Psychical hypersesthesia, very emotional, hystero- 
epileptic attacks from insignificant causes (almost 
daily). Frightful visions episodically. Vasomotor 
functions very labile. Ethical defect, great excita- 
bility of temper. Very troublesome in the ward on 
account of expression of perverse sexual feeling. 
Memory incomplete, wanting for single episodes.' 
Deficiency of power to reproduce original concep- 
tions identically, memory weak, unbridled fancy." 

The examination was concluded June 30, 1885, 
the irresponsibility of the patient for the acts for 
which she was incriminated being shown. After 
the conclusion of the examination she was' dis- 
missed, her brother appointed to care for her, and 
shelter assured her in her brother-in-law's family. 
It was painful to the patient always to be watched 
by her relatives and regarded as irresponsible. She 
fled to Pesth and became a seamstress again. 

It is shown by the court records that on August 
19, 1886, the patient obtained a sewing-machine 
at a sewing-machine store on the pretext that she 
would pay the price, 65 F., in monthly instalments 

' Autohypnotic states. 



l6 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

of 4 F. After receiving it she went secretly out of 
the house at night and sold the machine to a ped- 
ler for lo F., and squandered the proceeds. It was 
impossible to learn whither S. wandered until 
October. She herself had only a vague memory 
of the interval from the middle of August until the 
beginning of October, 1886, that she had wan- 
dered aimlessly about. It is authoritatively estab- 
lished that she entered on her duties as housemaid 
with the widow G., at 11 o'clock, October 6, 1886, 
and that at 1.30 o'clock she stole all her silver 
plate, and the testimonial books of two fellow 
servants (by means of one of them she obtained a 
place as servant, under the name of Marie Kliffner, 
in the house of the publisher R., October 12th); 
and that after a few hours she ran away with the 
silver plate and the dresses which had been given 
her to clean. She was soon arrested, and seemed 
quite unembarrassed, and at her hearing she de- 
clared that she knew nothing- about it. She said 
she had attacks in which she was robbed of con- 
sciousness and of memory of the acts done while 
in this condition. 

S. was taken to the observation ward (13. — 
October 28, 1886). The opinion of the physicians 
was to the effect that S. suffered from occasional 
convulsive attacks, and at times simulated them ; 
that, however, it was certain that no influence was 
exerted on her responsibility by these attacks. 
Consequently the prosecution was continued by 
the authorities. 

At the trial, December 2, 1886, the medical 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. I'J 

jurist, Prof. Ajtay, proved that the accused was 
hypnotic,' showed that she passes into " magnetic 
sleep when a lead pencil is simply held before her, 
in which condition she is capable of every act, not 
only spontaneously but also by suggestion ; and, 
too, as a result of suggestion, may perform such 
acts post-hypnotically without consciousness of their 
meaning and result." 

The opinion ran : " S's. disease is not epilepsy, 
but a related, severer disease (cataleptic hysteria), 
as a result of which S. is not simply temporarily 
but permanently irresponsible, since her conscious- 
ness is never entirely clear, but fluctuates between 
complete and partial unconsciousness." As a re- 
sult of this opinion, S. was pardoned on the ground 
of unconsciousness at the time of the commission 
of her incriminating acts (§ 76 ungar, Stgsb.). 
Later hypnotic experiments were made with S., 
which excited curiosity and became the subject of 
numerous articles in the newspapers of the capital. 

Besides, Ajtay testified, in connection with the 
opinion of S., that she was afflicted with congeni- 
tal perverse sexual feeling. 

By reason of statements which S. made later at 
Graz, this supposition seems to require correction 
in the sense of an engendered,^ morbid love of 
female for females. 

" I am judged incorrectly, if it is thought that I 
feel as a man towards the female sex. In my 

1 The patient says that from 1S79, when she left the convent, until her 
meeting with Prof. A., no one had hypnotized her. 

•^ Compare the author's monograph ; " Psychopathia Sexualis," 2d ed., 
p. 97. 



iS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

whole thought and feeling I am much more a 
woman. I loved my cousin as only a woman can 
love a man. 

" The change in my feeling originated in this : 
that in Pesth, dressed as a man, I had an oppor- 
tunity to observe my cousin. I saw that I had 
greatly deceived myself in him. That gave me 
terrible heart pangs. I knew that I could never 
love another man ; that I belonged to those who 
love but once. Of similar effect was the fact that 
in the society of my companions at the railway, I 
was compelled to hear the most offensive language, 
and visit the most disreputable houses. As a re- 
sult of the insight into men's motives gained in 
this way, I took an unconquerable dislike to them. 
However, since I am of a very passionate nature,, 
and need to have some loved person on whom to 
depend, and to whom I can wholly surrender my- 
self, I felt myself more and more powerfully drawn 
toward women and girls who were in sympathy 
with me, especially those actuated by intelligence." 

In the latter part of December, 1886, the patient 
was placed in the I. medical clinic in Pesth for 
further treatment. 

Dr. Jendrassik, to whom I owe my greatest 
thanks for valuable communications about S., ob- 
served, at the time of her reception, the typical 
picture of severe hysteria with quite severe attacks, 
and right hemiansesthesia with the sense organs in- 
volved. S. had at first one to two attacks daily, 
and was so violent that she had to be cared for in 
a separate room. After a month the attacks be- 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. I9 

came less frequent, occurring only every two or 
three weeks, and finally only occasionally after 
months. After violent excitement in August, 1887, 
they became frequent again. 

In a lucid condition the patient was always very 
orderly and modest, though very excitable. She 
showed herself to be industrious, skilful, and intel- 
ligent. In time she fell in love with a sister of 
charity. The passion was sensual and therefore 
often disturbed the patient very much. During 
her stay at the clinic S. was often hypnotized, not 
only by the physicians having a right to do it, but 
also by unauthorized persons, and even by laymen ; 
and, in consequence of these hypnotic experiments 
with S., the impulse was given which made them 
the subject of articles in the newspapers. In her 
lucid condition S. never knew the least of what 
had been done with her in the hypnotic state ; but 
the sister with whom she had fallen in love, told 
her every thing, and one day the patient read an 
article about the experiments performed on her. 
Then she became very much excited, and again 
had her attacks, which had ceased for months. 
This sister advised her to flee, and never again to 
allow the five wounds of Christ to be put on her 
left foot (by suggestion), or brand scars to be 
caused by suggestion ; that she should flee to a 
convent in Graz, and she would be helped in this 
undertaking. One day S. was again hypnotized, 
and the following day she saw the letter J burnt 
on her right arm. Then her decision to flee was. 
determined. 



20 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY JN 

There is a well-grounded suspicion that an un- 
authorized hypnosis with post-hypnotic suggestion 
caused the determination to flee to a convent in 
Graz to be carried out. The facts are that S. ob- 
tained 12 F. from fellow patients, appropriated 
dresses, and fled from the clinic Oct. 4, 1887. 

PRESENT CONDITION. 

The patient is over middle size, well nourished, 
•somewhat anaemic, and has an intelligent expres- 
sion of countenance. The circumference of the 
head is 55.5 cm. Over the right parietal bone is a 
superficial scar with no change of the bone, pur- 
porting to be dependent on a fall seven years ago. 
The eye has a neuropathic expression. The pupils 
are moderately dilated, equal, and react promptly. 
The patient states that for seven years she has 
suffered with hystero-epileptic attacks, which follow 
violent mental excitement. As aura, she feels cold- 
ness over the whole body, a feeling of warmth 
ascending from the epigastrium, and then globus. 
Then consciousness is lost as she gives a shrill cry. 
In some instances she can still support herself. 
According to the report of witnesses, the condition 
becomes one of tonic and clonic coordinated con- 
vulsion, intermingled with delirious conditions in 
which she often bites herself in her arms. The 
•duration of the attacks is from a quarter to half an 
hour. After violent attacks she is for days men- 
tally dull, sees every thing as of a yellowish-red 
color ; has rushing and humming in her head, 
frightful visions, headache, and temperatures as 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 21 

high as 40° C. The attacks had ceased to occur 
for weeks and months, but in September, 1887, 
again became so frequent as thirteen in a day. 
Emotional excitement has a orreat influence on 
their occurrence. They occur very easily on ac- 
count of her great excitability and emotionality. 

The patient shows right hemiansesthesia with the 
sense organs involved. The grasp is somewhat 
lowered on the right side. The right upper extrem- 
ity is in constant tremor. There is epigastric 
myodynia ; the ovarian region is not sensitive to 
pressure. No attacks can be provoked from this 
region or from the epigastrium. Patient is without 
fever. There are no functional disturbances of the 
A^egetative organs. A genital examination is re- 
fused. 

The patient has (1), near the shoulder, on the 
right side of the thorax, a raised, bluish-red scar 
(keloid), representing a medium-sized pair of lady's 
scissors. 

2. In the middle of the right upper arm is a 
similar oval scar, 1.5 cm. wide, and i cm. long. 

3. A raised skin scar, 2 cm. long, i cm. wide, 
similar to half of a letter K, on the right shoulder. 

4. Over the right shoulder-blade a pigmented 
line which reminds one of the outline of the top of 
a graduate, at least it runs out to a spout. 

5. At the middle of the right forearm a pig- 
mented line in the form of a letter J, the superior 
and inferior thirds of which are flat but scarred. 

The patient declares that these scars were made 
on her in hypnosis, at least the attendant (sister) 



22 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

told her so. She herself knew nothing of it. i, 
was made with a pair of scissors ; 2, with a key ; 
3, with a monogram ; 4, with a graduate ; 5, with 
a letter ; all being pretended as red-hot. 

After the experiments the places were always 
covered with a bandage, and this was sealed. 

Her right hemianaesthesia has existed perhaps two 
years. She herself discovered it by noticing that 
she could hold nothing in her right hand with her 
eyes turned away. The exact testing of sensibility 
with the aesthesiometer gives, as the smallest dis- 
tance between the points at which they are per- 
ceived as two impressions on the left half of the 
body: forehead, 23 mm. ; cheek, 15 mm. ; nose, 10 
mm. ; upper and under lip, 4 mm. ; neck, 16 mm. ; 
nape, 17 mm. ; breast (infraclavicular groove) 31 
mm. ; epigastrium, 32 mm. ; back, 28 mm. ; upper 
arm, extensor surface, 27 mm., flexor surface, 19 
mm. ; forearm, extensor surface, 25 mm., flexor 
surface, 22 mm. ; dorsum of the first phalanx of the 
middle finger, 22 mm. ; of the index finger, 10 
mm. ; tip of index finger, 4 mm. ; of middle finger, 4 
mm. ; thigh, extensor surface, 39 mm. ; leg, exten- 
sor surface, 44 mm. ; dorsum of foot, 25 mm. ; great 
toe, solar surface, 20 mm. These averages, in com- 
parison with Weber's, show that the circles of sen- 
sibility of the left half of the body are nearly normal, 
and that, in any case, no hyperaesthesia exists. The 
examination of the eyes gave the following : 

The patient pretends that she is completely 
amaurotic in the right eye, and has not even, 
quantitative appreciation of light. 



II 



mirni— yjTiiriiiBM^B^gg 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 23 

However, examined with the stereoscope, it is 
clear that the patient reads quite small type with 
the pretendedly amaurotic right eye. 

Acuteness of vision of ^-^ is obtained from the 
left eye with + -^-^. 

For near distance the patient reads Jaeger No, 2 
fluently at 30 cm. The ophthalmoscopic examina- 
tion showed hypermetropia of both eyes, otherwise 
quite normal fundi and clear refractive media. 
Colors are correctly recognized by the left eye, 
though the field for white and colors is limited 
externally and superiorly almost to the point of 
fixation. 

COURSE OF THE DISEASE. 

During her stay of seven months in the clinic, 
the patient presented the usual and quite stationary 
picture of a hystero-epileptic. 

Great excitability of temper, labile moods, with 
preponderance of depression, often going to the 
extent of dangerous tcrdiiuii vittr, frequently, with- 
out motive, changing to frolicsome humor and in- 
inclination to joke and even mischief, were the 
symptoms in the affective sphere worthy of remark. 

The patient's intelligence seems to have been 
originally above the average, and numerous poems 
and writings show that, with unusual training, 
fancy, disposition, and understanding have under- 
gone no recognizable loss. But in remarkable 
contrast with this are the weakness of power to 
identically reproduce original conceptions, the 
numerous delusive beliefs in the identity of present 



24 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

and past situations, and the incorrect localizations 
in past time. By reason of this, as well as by- 
reason of the interruptions of memory caused by 
autohypnotic and other conditions of unconscious- 
ness, a coherent account of her previous life was 
not possible. 

The patient's perverse sexual feeling was a 
troublesome peculiarity, which necessitated con- 
stant care and attention. Her unvarying modesty 
in her intercourse with the physicians was remark- 
able, and opposed to the idea of congenital per- 
version. 

The hemianaesthesia remained unchanged. Hys- 
tero-epileptic seizures were observed on October 
22d, 24th; November 20th; December 2d, 31st; 
January 7th ; March loth ; May 6th. 

Sleep was usually bad, restless, and unrefreshing. 
The patient frequently complained of anorexia, 
cardialgia, vomiting, intercostal neuralgia, and 
headache. 

The body temperature was seldom normal. Aa 
a result of emotional excitement, neurotic disturb- 
ances, but especially of hystero-epileptic seizures, 
temperatures as high as 41.5° C, were observed, 
but unaccompanied by the usual objective and 
subjective symptoms of fever." 

The temperature frequently varied in twenty- 
four hours between 36.5° and 39.5° C. On an 
average it was above the normal. However, dur- 
ing the time of her stay, the patient increased sev- 
eral kilos in weight. 

The menses, which, up to March, were never 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 2$ 

observed, occurred on March loth, and returned, 
sparingly, again on April loth and May 5th. 

The following daily notes of the hypnotic ex- 
periments show how far a great number of the 
symptoms were experimentally and therapeutically 
influenced. For the reasons that the patient is 
abnormally excitable, suffers from tcEdiuin viics, is 
subject to hystero-epileptic attacks and autohyp- 
notic conditions, in which she may injure herself 
and others, and, besides, is easily hypnotized, and 
in this state, as well as by post-hypnotic suggestion, 
can be impelled to criminal acts ; and, further, is 
afflicted with perverse sexual feeling, and unable 
to master her morbid impulse ; it seems a duty to 
send her to a humanitarian institution in her own 
country after the conclusion of the examination. 
From experience thus far, it seems possible that 
the pitiable patient will be given a better future by 
means of the influence of continued therapeutic, 
hypnotic suggestion. 



26 



AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 



HYPNOTIC EXPERIMENTS. 

DR. JENDRASSIK's EXPERIMENTS.^ 

Dr. J. very kindly informed me on November 
20, 1887, that hypnosis was usually easily produced 
by holding a lead-pencil before her, by stroking the 
forehead, by the quick cry (" hopp "), and by the 
imperative suggestion: "Go to sleep," or by the 
simple declaration : " You are asleep." 

In the hypnotic condition the patient was catalep- 
tic, abulic, but very easily influenced by suggestion. 

Waking was caused by blowing on her, or by 
the command to awake. 

Towards the end the experimenter had observed 
that the experiments were no longer so successful, 
and the sleep seemed no longer so deep and per- 
fect. The patient also had times of spontaneous 
confusion and disturbances of consciousness, and 
showed once more an inclination to simulation. 
The following is a resume of Dr. J.'s experiments : 

1. Production of cataleptic positions of the body. 

2. Production of contractures by pressing or rub- 
bing some part of the body. These are removed 
by stronger rubbing or by verbal suggestion. 

' Society of Physicians, Budapesth, March 5, 1887. As I am about to 
send the MS. to the publisher, I see that Dr. Jendrassik has begun tonaake 
his interesting experiments known to the German medical public in the 
neurological Centralblatl, No. 10. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 2/ 

3- Suggestion of a bird in her hand — patient 
caresses it. Sug. that it is a snake — fright. S. of 
a bath — patient washes herself with pleasure. S. 
that it is very cold — shivering, trembling, and chat- 
tering of the teeth. S. that water presented is 
wine — patient drinks it for wine. S. that she is 
intoxicated — singing and staggering. S. of impend- 
ing vomiting — patient vomits. 

4. S. that awakened she will be a dog that can 
only bark. Awakened, the patient goes on all 
fours and barks. Patient is again hypnotized and 
the sucro-estion removed. 

00 

5. Post-hypnotic suggestion to murder Dr. X. 
A roll of paper is given to the patient and sug- 
gested as a dagger. Awakened the patient steals 
behind Dr. X. and thrusts furiously at him with 
the roll of paper. A threatening attack is pre- 
vented by Dr. X.'s crying " hopp " to her. The 
patient becomes immediately cataleptic. 

6. S. of paralysis of an extremity. Patient con- 
tinues so a long time (even for a day), until the 
suggestion is removed by renewed hypnosis and 
suggestion. In this suggested paralysis the deep 
reflexes are increased. 

7. Hemianaesthesia of the other side can be sug- 
gested to the patient, or of both sides, and allowed 
to remain or entirely removed, but not permanently. 

8. S. of deafness. If this is not removed after 
the hypnosis the patient does not react to the 
strongest stimuli, on one occasion not to a gong 
I m. in diameter. 

In renewed hypnosis the' patient can be made to 



28 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

hear again. She can also be made partially deaf ; 
for example, to a certain voice, a certain sound. 

9. Blindness can be suggested. When with it a 
pleasant mood is suggested, she pays no attention 
to the blindness. 

Her color-sense can also be temporarily restored 
by suggestion. 

10. Single persons or the entire company can be 
removed from her perception by suggestion. In 
the first case, for instance, she is greatly astonished 
that a watch, a hat, etc., move through the air, 
since she sees the objects and not the bearer (re- 
moved by suggestion). 

If it is sug-Q-ested to her that she shall not allow 
herself to be hypnotized by X. or Y., then, do what 
he may, this person cannot succeed. 

11. A photograph can be suggested to her on a 
white sheet of paper. Then she recognizes that 
certain sheet among other similar ones. 

If a letter d is drawn with the finger on a paper^ 
she sees the suggested d. Now If the paper be 
turned around, she sees^, and in a mirror q. 

The experiment with b — q — p succeeds still 
better. 

12. A sheet of writing paper bound on the left 
leg and suggested as a sinapism, produces redness 
and a small blister on the followlno- mornlnor. 

When In the morning the edge of a pocket 

match-safe I J was pressed on the right forearm, 
at another time the edge of a graduate 




rill: DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 2g- 

tween the scapulae, and a dose-glass ({ y\ on the 

upper arm, and these objects suggested as red-hot, 
there were visible in the afternoon a blister and 
brand-wound in the form of the objects used, the 
scars of which must still be present. If any thing 
is pressed on her left side and suggested as hot, 
the brand appears, symmetrically and reversed, 
upon the right side ; for example, an initial (a) was 
pressed on the left shoulder. The figure {B), with 
quite sharp outlines, came on the corresponding 
place of the right side. The correct figure would 
have been {c). 

{a) (b) (.) 



c5{. (^ 




It was impossible to discover who had pressed a 
pair of scissors ' on her, and suggested them as 
hot. It must have been one of the students. It is 
a sad example of the great effect of suggestion. 
Fever could not be caused by suggestion. The 
patient became ill, but the thermometer remained 
at 37.4° C. 

The suggestion of bleeding was quite as unsuc- 
cessful. Simply red spots (hyperaemia) appeared 
at the places of suggestion. 

13. The magnet has a great effect. If one has 
once manipulated with it, then one can produce the 

' According to the account of the sister of charity, this was a suppurat- 
ing wound which was very painful, and required two months to heal. The 
wound was treated with carbolic washes and carbolated charpie. 



30 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

same effect with any thing that is taken in the 
hand, but not before. A towel, for example, which 
covered the magnet, and which is given the patient 
to wipe his hands, immediately causes the most 
violent contractures of both hands, which are diffi- 
cult to remove. An ordinary towel does not have 
this effect. 

Transfer is also easily produced by the magnet, 
and likewise suggested deafness removed. 

Dr. Jendrassik concludes his interesting commu- 
nication with the followinpf remarks : 

" I need scarcely say that all experiments were 
made with the greatest care, and that, for example, 
in the case of the brand suggestions, deception is 
entirely excluded. 

" On the day preceding her flight I suggested 
a J as hot on her left forearm. The letter was 
drawn on a paper, and I touched her but an instant 
with a fold of the sheet. 

" Does nothing result ? According to my ex- 
perience the brand suggestion fails only when, in 
the interval (i. e., before the suggestive effect), a 
hystero-epileptic attack occurs." 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 3 1 



DAILY NOTE-BOOK OF THE HYPNOTIC EX- 
PERIMENTS AT GRAZ. 

PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 

The patient surrendered herself here for such 
experiments unwillingly, and only after she was 
assured on word of honor that all brand suggestions 
would be dispensed with. In time it was possible 
to win her confidence, and she complied willingly 
with all such requests. However, that kind of 
experiments is never pleasant to the patient. She 
suffers their performance out of a feeling of kind- 
ness for the physicians, to whom in time she came 
to feel herself to be under obligation. The hyp- 
notic experiments were never undertaken, save in 
the presence of a number of physicians, portis 
claiisis, and with the witnesses bound to tell the 
patient nothing of what took place during hyp- 
nosis. 

Prof. V. Krafft reserved to himself the right to 
hypnotize the patient. In case of necessity and 
exceptionally the assistant. Dr. Kornfeld, acted for 
him. On one occasion unintentional hypnosis was 
caused by Dr. Gugl, who held the patient's eyes 
closed while Prof. Krafft was testing her sensibility. 

Hypnosis is brought about within twenty to 
thirty seconds by fixed gaze, command, light pres- 



32 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

sure on the eyeballs, or stroking of the forehead. 
The latter method Is preferred by the patient. 

At the moment of entering into the hypnotic 
state the patient usually looks once more at the 
experimenter, as if to impress his image on her 
mind. Then the eyes are half closed, and seem 
drawn to the right, downward and outward. The 
patient remains in the position in which she was at 
the moment hypnosis occurred. She resembles a 
statue. Only an occasional tremor of the eyelids 
and upper extremities, and quiet, slow inspiration, 
show that the statue is alive. 

The pulse is from 80 to 96, as long as the patient 
remains left to herself. The picture of the hypnotic 
state is unchangeable, alike in all hypnoses, which 
facilitates experimentation very much. The dura- 
tion of the sitting was extended to three hours. 

The activity of the senses is arrested, with the 
exception of susceptibility to auditory impressions- 
through the left ear, and to painful impression on 
the left half of the body. The patient reacts to 
powerful auditory impressions by slight movements, 
of fear, and to needle pricks (left), by wrinkling of 
the brow and contraction of the corrugator super- 
cilii. The other senses are incapable of excitation,, 
even with the most powerful stimuli. 

The muscular system is in a cataleptic state,, 
though without the signs oi Jlexibilitas cerea. 

Left to herself, the patient remains like a statue. 
Under long observation neither mimical nor any 
other motor indications of spontaneous psychical 
action appear. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 33 

Every path of the patient's nerve centres may 
be opened by suggestion, and the corresponding 
psychical action becomes possible, but the action 
is purely mechanical, automatic. The machine 
stands still as soon as the suggested action is com- 
pleted. The automatic act is extremely precise 
and complete. For its performance the patient 
requires the sense apparati concerned, and set free 
by suggestion. The paths of suggestion are the 
auditory and sensory, including the muscular. But 
only the person that produced the hypnosis is able 
to exert suggestive influence. In hypnosis, the 
deep reflexes are not increased. In the lucid con- 
dition absolute amnesia exists for the events of the 
hypnotic state. This condition, in the opinion of 
Charcot and Bernheim, may be described as a som- 
nambulic experimental state of sleep. 

The transfer from the hypnotic state (=11.) to 
the normal, lucid condition (=1.), is readily effected 
by blowing on the patient or by the simple com- 
mand to awake. 

The patient passes into I. through an inter- 
mediate sleepy state, in which she rubs her eyes 
and stretches her limbs. 

If the hypnosis has been long-continued, and 
many experiments made with the patient,, then, in 
I., she complains of headache, fatigue, and discom- 
fort ; and likewise when any other than the usual 
experimenter has undertaken the hypnosis. How- 
ever, these complaints can be obviated by the sug- 
gestion that after waking she will feel well. No 
detrimental effect on the disease was ever observed 



34 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

as a result of hypnosis undertaken with the above 
precautions. 

The result of experiments was usually noted 
during the sitting. 

DAILY NOTE-BOOK. 

Oct. 24th, 'Z"]. — Hypnosis produced by fixed 
gaze. Immediate success. Waking produced by 
blowing on the patient. 

Oct. 26th. — II. produced by slight pressure on 
the eyes. 

Oct. 30th. — II. produced by stroking the fore- 
head. Since the patient is sleepless, and amylhy- 
drate is of little service, suggestion that from now 
on she sleep well from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. Precise 
and prompt result. 

Oct. 31st. — II. produced henceforth only by 
stroking the forehead. A threatening hystero- 
epileptic attack is thus prevented. 

Nov. I St. — The patient becomes troublesome to 
the sister of charity on account of kissing, etc. In 
II., suggestion to avoid such action in the future. 
Kissing is henceforth avoided. 

The extremities are placed in contracture at 
pleasure by centrifugal stroking of the skin, and 
the contractures removed by centripetal stroking. 
The corresponding mimical expression is effected 
by placing her in a plastic attitude. 

It is suggested to the patient that she is a child ; 
she is allowed to play with a doll, and salt for 
sugar is given her to eat. 

She is changed into a seven-year-old schoolgirl, 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 35 

and must pass an examination. She writes her 
name from dictation, Hke a schoolgirl, with difficulty, 
slowly, and incorrectly : 

It is suggested to her that she is grown-up now, 
and must make a will in favor of her former physi- 
cian at Pesth. She writes a legal testament from 
dictation. Again her name is dictated ; now she 



writes : 




3^^^»t<, c/Qyh/ff/yi4f^^^ 



She writes easily and fluently any thing desired, 
and, among other things, a bond for 500 F. 

She is given the command to go to Dr. H., 
when awakened, and take his hand and say 
" thanks." This post-hypnotic suggestion * is 
promptly fulfilled. 

November 4th. The hypnotizing is annoying to 
the patient. She contemplates flight. In II. it is 
suggested to her that she try not to escape. This 
thought does not occur again in I. 

The patient is directed, in II., to murder Dr. K., 
and a tooth-brush is placed in her hand for this 
purpose. At first she makes opposition, decides 
on the deed only after mental struggle, and finally. 



.36 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUD Y IN 

however, steals up to her victim Hke a bravo and 
thrusts at him violently, so that she jnust be told 
to stop. 

Heretofore the experimenter took the trouble, 
before the patient, to speak to those present in a 
low voice, or in Latin. Since«it is constantly evi- 
dent that speech is apperceived by her only when 
it is spoken directly to her, this precaution is hence- 
forth, for the most part, dispensed with. 

November 5th. Experiment as to the effect of 
medicinal substances in II., as observed by Prof. 
Luys. 1-5.0 gram, of pilocarpin, atropin, apo- 
morphin, and alcohol, in sealed phials, are one after 
the other hung about the patient, and the result 
observed by Prof. v. Schroff. No reaction is ob- 
served. 

November 9th. To-day, in II., the experiment 
with tinct. thymiani 5.0, in a sealed phial, is re- 
peated. During the ten minutes of the application 
the face becomes red and turgescent, the left eye 
somewhat prominent, and the circumference of the 
neck increases from 30 to 33.5 cm. Increased pul- 
sation of the vessels does not occur. The pulse 
rises from 90 to 120. 

These symptoms are not further confirmed in 
later experiments. It is possible that the reaction 
observed with the thyme resulted simply from the 
pressure of tight clothing on the veins of the neck, 
since during the time of the experiment the patient 
remained with head stretched forward (the phial 
was bound on the nape of the neck, the neck 
pressed forward against the tight dress by the 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 3/ 

manipulations, and fixed there by the cataleptic 
muscles). 

Besides, a considerable acceleration of the pulse 
occurred occasionally at other times, in II. 

November 13th. In II. it is suggested to the 
patient that her left arm is paralyzed. The arm 
immediately presents the picture of flaccid paraly- 
sis : is anaesthetic, with transfer of sensibility to 
the right upper extremity, the deep reflexes are 
increased, and the vaso-motor nerves paralyzed. 
(Irritation of the skin immediately causes hyper- 
semia, which disappears only after a long time.) 

By means of the suggestion that the arm is 
again well the stattts q^to a7ite is immediately re- 
established. 



DEMONSTRATION BEFORE THE MEDICAL SOCIETY AT 
STEIERMARK, NOVEMBER 14, 1 887.' 

Present : 68 members and 1 7 guests. 

Place : the clinic for nervous diseases in the 
general hospital. 

After the sensibility has been tested with eyes 
averted, and the right hemianaesthesia proved, Prof. 
Krafft asks the patient to look somewhat sharply 
at him. In a couple of seconds thereafter she Is 
hypnotic ; with half-closed eyelids, the expression 
of the face resembles that of a mask, a classically 
fixed mien without any reactlon^ — the eyes fixed, 
staring, amaurotic. She reacts now only to the 

' From the report of the eleventh monthly meeting in the Oesterr. drztl- 
Vereinzeitunz. 



38 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

speech of this experimenter, and obeys only his. 
commands and suggestions. All others present 
are to her as air. She does not answer questions 
addressed to her from the audience, and does not 
obey commands ; on the other hand, she does every 
thing that the experimenter requires of her. 

Prof. Krafft pulls up her sleeve and strokes her 
arm in a centrifugal direction ; complete stiffness, 
a cataleptic condition, is the result ; and this con- 
dition is immediately removed by stroking in a 
centripetal direction. Stimuli, which cause not 
the slightest reaction in the lucid state, now occa- 
sion the most extreme reflex contractions : strok- 
ing of the zygomatic2is with the handle of the per- 
cussion hammer causes an evident contraction of 
that muscle, and in the same way of the elevator 
labii; a horseshoe magnet, held at some distance 
from the part of the body concerned, makes the 
facial muscles twitch distinctly, causes a facial ex- 
pression of blowing when held before the lips, etc., 
and it occasioned, evidently, strong contractions of 
the muscles of the protruded tongue, and drew the 
point of the tongue to the side on which it was 
held. 

Placed in plastic attitudes, 'the patient maintains 
them and assumes the corresponding expression 
of countenance. Placed in an attitude of anger, 
the mien becomes angry, but changes again to the 
classic expressionless mask immediately when the 
position is removed. Placed in the attitude of a 
beggar, with raised, pleading hands, the eyelids are 
raised, and the eyes turned upward ; with the re- 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 39 

moval of the attitude, the mien again becomes 
dreamy and demented. The posture of defence 
produces the expression of fright ; the fingers 
spread out from the nose, that of contempt ; the 
movements of her arms, as if she were throwing a 
kiss, give her face an amiable expression. 

At the experimenter's suggestion, " Miss S., 
your left arm is completely paralyzed ; however, 
try to raise your left arm," she tried in vain to 
obey the command ; the arm, which had so shortly 
before been in a fixed, cataleptic state, when raised 
up passively, falls down tiaccid, and there is present 
a complete " flaccid paralysis," the muscle tonus 
likewise nil, the previously sensitive arm being also 
completely anaesthetic. While previously, in the 
state of cataleptic contracture, the pricks of a 
needle were felt and had caused more decided 
wrinkling of the brow the more proximally they 
were made, now the arm may be pricked anywhere 
at will and no reaction or expression of pain can 
be discovered in the mimical facial muscles ; in- 
deed, even the strongest electric pencil currents, 
which no malingerer could endure, are borne with- 
out the slightest siorn. Now, on the other hand, 
the opposite extremity, which was previously anaes- 
thetic, shows itself to be sensitive ; a complete 
transfer has occurred — a transfer which is limited 
to both upper extremities, but which exists only 
for the experimenter ; the facial hemianaesthesia 
has remained the same as before. Now the ques- 
tion is to adjust the paralysis again. At the ex- 
perimenter's suggestion that he has again made the 



40 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

arm movable by the pressure of a seal, and that 
the paralysis has disappeared (" Miss S. ! I am able 
to assure you that the cure has succeeded com- 
pletely ! "), the patient moves her arm again, and 
at request presses his hand powerfully ; and, too, 
the transfer, that great enigma of psycho-hysterical 
experiments, has again disappeared, the left ex- 
tremity being again sensitive, the right anaesthetic. 

Now Prof. Krafft conducts a series of suggestion- 
experiments, having for their object the trans- 
mutation of the patient's personality. At the 
words, " Good-morning, little lima; what a smart 
little girl you are for two years and a half old ; let 
us play a little, come ! " the patient acts as if she 
were a small child, — sits on the floor, plays with a 
doll (a stick of wood), lays it in its cradle (on a 
seat), gives it sugar (in reality salt), eats of it her- 
self and says it is sweet ; then she goes about in 
the garden (about the circle), picks currants from 
one of the gentlemen present whom the experi- 
menter says is a currant-bush, carries her hand to 
her mouth as if she would eat them, and shakes 
another gentleman for a plum-tree, and stoops and 
gathers the plums, etc. 

The suggestion, " Why ! how quickly the little 
lima has grown ; now she is eight years old and a 
schoolgirl," changes the situation instantly. To the 
question, "How old are you ? " the patient answers, 
" Eight years " ; and she sits on a school bench, and 
now come the following questions and answers : 

Professor : Have you learned something too ? 

Patient : Yes. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 4I 

Prof. : Tell me from what God created the world. 

Pat. (with childish voice): God made the world 
out of nothing. 

Prof.: What did God then do? 

Pat. (reflects and then speaks in the same stac- 
cato tone as before): God made holy the seventh 
day. 

Prof. : What day was that ? 

Pat.: And that was Sunday. 

Prof.: What do you know of natural history? 
What kind of an animal is the wolf? 

Pat.: The wolf belongs to the beasts of prey. 

Prof.: And the elephant? 

Patient is silent. 

Prof.: Can you tell me the capital of Hungary ? 

Patient is silent. 

Prof.: Can you tell me the principal rivers of 
Hungary ? 

Pat.: The Donau, the Theiss. (The patient, in 
spite of apparent reflection, can remember no 
more.) 

Prof.: Can you write too? Write your name. 

The patient takes paper and pen, and writes her 
name with childish strokes and childish errors (9 
for 12, etc.). 

Prof. Krafft requires of her further that she come 
up over the stile with him, but to be careful, as 
there are ten steps. Then he leads her by the 
hand around the circle. The patient raises her 
feet cautiously as if mounting a stile, and exactly 
at the eleventh step assumes her usual movement, 
as if walking on level ground. 



42 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

Now the operator suggests to her that she is not 
a girl at all, but a man, and has become a soldier, 
and must drill. The patient straightens up and 
carries herself like a soldier, makes use of an um- 
brella presented to her for a musket, stands guard, 
presents arms at the cry, " an officer," takes aim 
and fires at the cry, " the enemy, the enemy! " ; 
she drinks a glass of water, with long draughts, 
for Hungarian wine, and smokes a tooth-brush 
for a cigar ; at the suggestion, " You are quite 
drunk," she begins to stagger and sways fearfully, 
being scarcely able to stand, and then acts as if 
about to vomit ; she drinks a glass of red wine 
for water, and, at the assurance that she is now 
entirely well again, stands alone and exactly as 
before. 

At the further suo'Sfestion that she is married and 
has a little child, she takes a pillow in her arms as 
a child, rocks it to sleep, singing a Hungarian 
song ; then at request she gives the child pretended 
food to eat, after each spoonful, turning the pillow 
about as if to make the pap that had been spilled 
flow into the child's mouth. 

As proof of how a hypnotized person can be 
used for the commission of a crime. Prof. Krafft 
dictates to her a letter containing a slander, and a 
receipt for a thousand guldens. The patient writes 
every thing quickly, and without errors, in a regular 
feminine hand ; she, after each dictation is written 
down, repeats the last word, and waits for more, 
knowing nothing of it all. Now she signs her 
name, correctly, fluently, and distinctly. 



TJJE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 43 

Then the experimenter gives an example of post- 
hypnotic suggestions. He directs the patient that 
when she leaves the room she shall open an um- 
brella, which leans against the door, and give it 
to the gentleman standing by the chest near the 
statue of Mary. Then he wakens the patient by 
the suggestion : " Miss S. ! you are awake again ! " 

She opens her eyes, yawns a little, and her here- 
tofore mask-like, fixed features immediately reas- 
sume life and motion. " I am tired." 

Now Prof. Krafft strokes the zygomaticus with 
the handle of the percussion hammer, and it does 
not contract ; the magnet no longer induces mus- 
cular contractures ; all symptoms of hypnosis have 
disappeared. At the request of the experimenter 
that she go to her room, the patient leaves the 
auditorium ; but she stops suddenly at the door, 
takes up the closed umbrella standing there, un- 
does it, opens it, passes through the company with 
the umbrella open and held over her head, and 
gives it to Dr. H., who leans against the chest 
mentioned. 

November i6th. — Transfer to II, Present : Prof. 
Lipp. Suggestion of a cold bath. Immediate, 
general tremor ; fibrillary twitching of the upper 
extremities, and transverse wrinkling of the skin in 
the region of the wrists (cutis anserina). At the 
suggestion of a warm bath these symptoms disap- 
pear immediately. The patient washes and rubs 
herself with pleasure. Paralysis of left upper ex- 
tremity suggested, with the same result as on No- 
vember 14th. 



44 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

November 1 7th. — Patient has left intercostal 
neuralgia. This, in II., is successfully removed by 
suggestion. 

No reflex results from touching the eyes. Pu- 
pils, as always in hypnosis, equal or moderately 
dilated. In answer to the question, the patient 
declares that she sees the experimenter. However, 
the position of the eyes, drawn downward and out- 
ward, does not change. With closed eyes she 
says she sees nothing. 

The eyes are left free. To the question " How 
many persons are in the room ? " the patient cor- 
rectly counts seven. Now she is told that the 
sister of charity has just gone out (untrue), and 
will return only after an hour. Asked how many 
persons are now in the room, she counts six. She 
is transferred to I. The sister remains near her,, 
speaks to her repeatedly, but is like air to her. 
Exactly after an hour she greets the sister with the 
words : " Good morning, sister ; where have you 
been all day ? " The patient complained to-day 
about the frequent hypnotizing. She feels weak 
and exhausted from it. 

November 20th. — To-day transfer to II. for the 
purpose of a more exact test of the effect of the 
magnet. The magnet induces powerful contract- 
ure of the left upper extremity following a trembling 
of the muscles ; in the right (hemiansesthetic) 
upper extremity only tremor results. The left up- 
per extremity is now made flaccidly paralyzed 
{v. Nov. 14th). Transfer of sensibility to the right 
upper extremity ensues. Now the magnet causes 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPN07 ISM. 45. 

powerful contracture on the right side, simply 
tremor on the left. 

The paralysis is removed by suggestion. The 
transfer immediately disappears, and the reactions 
to the magnet are again like those before the sug- 
gestion of paralysis. 

The tremor induced by the magnet is immedi- 
ately overcome by copper or silver coins, the con- 
tracture by centripetal stroking. 

Trial of a test as to whether a difference of af- 
fect exists between the north and south poles. 

In the right (hemianaesthetic) arm the north 
pole causes only weak tremor, the south pole weak 
contracture. In the left (sensitive) arm the north 
pole produces weak, the south pole energetic con- 
tracture. This experiment is frequently repeated 
with blindfolded eyes, and always with the same 
result. 

After application of the magnet (at a distance of 
2 to 5 cm.) an analogous effect is attained with any 
key. Also the size and strength of the magnet 
proves to be irrelevant. 

On the evening of the 20th, a hystero-epileptic 
attack, after anger at the night attendant. As 
a result of this the suggestions, hitherto successful, 
are destroyed — (to trouble the sister no more with 
attentions, and to sleep from 8 until 6 o'clock). 

Nov. 24th. — Transfer to II. Suggestion of deaf- 
ness. Complete success. The magnet does not 
restore the hearing, but the words "You hear," 
written on the extensor surface of the left forearm, 
does. 



4^ AN- EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

Successful suggestions concerning the sister and 
sleep. 

Suggestion of left-sided, facial paralysis. Right- 
sided paralysis and left-sided anaesthesia result. 
Minimal faradic excitability : kathode at foramen 
stylomastoideum, right, secondary coil drawn to 
'].'^', left, to 9.4. 

Neither the north nor the south pole of the 
magnet nor other stimuli of the skin occasion 
contracture either on the right or left side. The 
paralysis is removed by suggestion. Sensibility is 
again immediately restored on the left side, and 
right anaesthesia is present. Minimal faradic 
reaction now, right, secondary coil drawn to 8.3 ; left 
to 9.4. The magnet effects simply tremor on the 
right, and powerful contracture on the left. On the 
left side a key is equal to a magnet ; on the right, 
without effect. A post-hypnotic suggestion to take 
a saint's picture from the wall and carry it into an- 
other room is promptly fulfilled. Immediately 
after, asked about the whereabouts of the picture, 
the patient knows nothing of it. Immediately 
transferred to II., she reports that she carried it 
into the altar room. " Why ? " That she does not 
know. In state I. the patient generally knows 
nothing of post-hypnotic suggestions ; but it is the 
contrary in II. 

Dec. 2d. — Hystero-epileptic seizure. Immediately 
troublesome to the sister, and bad sleep again. 
New suggestion. Soon thereafter the patient 
writes to the sister : "I am so sad that it seems as 
if I had lost something ; it seems to me that I shall 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 4/ 

never see you again, and therefore my heart is so 
sad." 

Dec. 3d. — In II. Suggestion that patient have a 
stool one hour later (on account of obstipation of 
several days\ The stool occurred after one hour 
precisely. (Temperature Dec. ist, evening, 39.3° C ; 
Dec. 2d, noon, 38.4° C, afternoon, 39° C, eve., 
39.2° C.) Suggestion to measure in the evening 
38° C, on the morning of the 4th, 2,T C. The tem- 
peratures correspond with the suggestion. 

Dec. 7th. — In II. Suggestion to measure 38.5° C. 
at 9 o'clock P.M., and 37° C. in the morning. (Tem- 
perature, Dec. 6th, noon, 36.4° C, evening, 37.1° C.) 
On the evening of the 7th at 8:30 the temperature 
is taken. Patient does not wish to allow it. The 
thermometer remains in position and at 8:45 shows 
37.1° C. in the axilla. About 9 o'clock the patient 
became willing. At 9 o'clock exactly, 38. 5° C; on 
the morning of the 8th, 37°C. With a new sugges- 
tion in II. in the evening, 36° C. 

Dec. 8th. — The ineffectualness of the magnet in I. 
is established. Also it is shown that the patient 
apperceives words written on the volar or exten- 
sor surface of the left forearm, on the left side 
of the thorax, on the left epigastrium, on the 
anterior surface of the left thigh, and on the left 
calf. 

Now the patient is placed in II. The magnet 
works immediately, but only in the regions where 
feeling is intact. After suggestion of left anses- 
thesia with transfer, the influence is present on the 
right side and absent on the left. 



48 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

A towel that covered the magnet, water that 
stood in the vicinity of the magnet and is given 
to her to wash her hands, produce very powerful 
contracture, but only when handed to her by the 
experimenter. In the hands of others they, like 
the magnet, are absolutely without effect. These 
experiments were repeated many times, the eyes 
being blindfolded, with the same result. 

If the experimenter with the magnet steals up 
behind the patient, the contracture always occurs 
immediately. 

After washing his hands and drying them with 
a fresh towel taken from the drawer, he hands the 
patient a similar one. Now the contractures fail to 
occur. 

Now the experimenter strikes a gong. The pa- 
tient, sitting there with blindfolded eyes, when 
asked, answers that she hears a sound. Now the 
gong is struck by Dr. X. in the same way. The 
patient hears these strokes too, but she feels them 
coming from a strange hand as unpleasant. Deaf- 
ness is suggested to her. She seems deaf, and 
reacts no longer to powerful strokes on the 
gong. The magnet does not restore the hearing,, 
but the word " Hear," written on the forearm,, 
does. 

Dec. 9th. — Transfer to II. by the assistant, Dr. 
Kornfeld. The hypnosis is brought about with 
difficulty ; and only with the professor's persua- 
sion is the patient willing to allow the hypnosis. 
Dr. K. now rules the patient completely, the pro- 
fessor being unable to become en rapport with her^ 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 49 

and unable to awaken her by verbal suggestion, 
which Dr. K. does without trouble. 

However, what is remarkable, the magnet proves 
absolutely ineffectual in the hands of the new ex- 
perimenter. In an immediate, new hypnosis pro- 
duced by Prof. Krafft, the magnet works, even 
through the clothing. 

Four of the six physicians present were removed 
by suggestion. Awakened, the patient treats the 
four gentlemen as air. One of them (Hungarian) 
speaks to the patient in Hungarian. She starts 
violently, and has a hystero-epileptic attack, which 
is immediately overcome by means of H. It was 
remarkable that the patient did not apperceive the 
three other gentlemen speaking German. 

THIRTEENTH MONTHLY MEETING OF THE MEDICAL 
SOCIETY, DECEMBER 12, 1 88 7. 

Present : 104 members and guests. 

After presenting the same patient that was intro- 
troduced at the meeting on the 14th ult., her sensi- 
bility, reflexes, etc., were tested while she was in 
the lucid state. Ao-ain the left side showed itself 
to be sensitive, the right anaesthetic. The deep 
reflexes are at a minimum., or at least moderate ; 
the presence of a horseshoe magnet causes nowhere 
muscular contractions ; temperature taken in the 
axilla 2iT C. 

After a short rubbing of the patient's forehead, 
her face assumes the characteristic, masklike ex- 
pression of induced hypnosis ; now the patient is 
only susceptible to two kinds of stimuli : on the one 



5Q AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

hand, to auditory ; on the other, sensory on the sen- 
sitive left side of the body, both, however, only for 
the personality of the experimenter. 

Prof. Krafft first suggests to her that her tem- 
perature, at 8 o'clock this evening, measure ex- 
actly 35.5° C.^ 

Then the operator tells her that she is in a bath, 
but that the water is very cold, and that she will 
take cold (patient begins to shiver) and have a 
catarrh from the too cold bath (the patient sneezes 
once violently and naturally — certainly an involun- 
tary reflex); that now, however, hot water has been 
brought and it is very comfortable in the bath, 
(patient rubs her thighs with pleasure) ; finally, that 
the warm water has suddenly run off (patient 
shivers violently, presents goose-skin on her arms). 

The patient is placed by the experimenter in the 
posture of a beggar. The hitherto expressionless 
mien immediately assumes the appropriate mimical 
expression. The eyes turn upwards and the upper 
lids are raised. This experiment is successful only 
in the hands of the experimenter. Other gentlemen 
try it in vain. 

Now the experimenter lays a number of sheets of 
white paper before her, such as are used for prescrip- 
tion writing, and suggests for her a photograph on 
one of them. The experimenter takes again the 
sheet designated with the pretence to write a dedi- 
cation on it, marks it on the back, shufHes it among 
the others, and asks the patient to pick out the 

' The temperature taken immediately after the close of the sitting (at 8 
P.M.) was 37.1° ; at 8:30, 36° ; on the next morning, 35.7° ; and it remained 
subnormal until the next hystero-epileptic attack. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. $1 

(suggested) photograph. The patient looks at the 
sheets attentively, becomes violently agitated and 
perspires ; finally she picks out a sheet, but not the 
correct one. Prof. Krafft is compelled to deepen 
her hypnosis by rubbing her forehead in order 
to prevent a hystero-epileptic attack. 

Now the experimenter suggests to her anaes- 
thesia of the left arm, and the hitherto hyperaes- 
thetic left arm immediately becomes anaesthetic. 
Even the strongest faradic pencil currents which a 
malingerer could not endure, are borne without any 
reaction ; on the other hand, the other previously 
anaesthetic arm has become sensitive, as is proved 
by tests. However, this transfer exists only for 
the experimenter ; for other gentlemen (from the 
audience), who convince themselves of it with the 
needle, it does not exist. 

A horseshoe magnet, held by the experimenter at 
some distance from xh^ plica ciibiti oi the sensitive 
(now right) side of the body, elicits violent muscu- 
lar contractures immediately ; and likewise, a bar- 
magnet (more quickly and powerfully with the 
south pole), and also a wooden-toy magnet. In the 
left arm, anaesthetic to the experimenter, the latter 
can induce no contractures. To-day, as usual, the 
south pole proves to be more effectual than the 
north pole. A few centripetal strokes of the ex- 
perimenter's hand overcome the most powerful 
contractures immediately, while others present try 
in vain to cause the contractures to disappear 
by stroking. The stroking is ineffectual when the 
experimenter puts on a strange glove, but is effec- 



52 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

tual again as soon as he has taken it off. Numbers 
or simple words written on the sensitive arm are 
read ; the patient tries in vain to read in the same 
way from the anaesthetic arm. 

At the further suggestion that her left arm is 
now also paralyzed, motor paralysis is immediately 
added to the anaesthesia ; and at the statement that 
all is well again, paralysis, anaesthesia, and transfer 
disappear. At request, the patient raises her 
arm, washes her hands and dries them with a 
towel which has lain over the maenet. While 
drying them, her hands become stiff, and she holds 
the towel in her clenched fists until Prof. Krafft 
removes the contracture by centripetal stroking of 
the arms. 

At the suggestion that she is deaf, the patient 
acts as if cortically deaf ; the most powerful strokes 
on a tom-tom have no unpleasant effect on her. 
She does not move a muscle. Should the experi- 
menter now blow on her, and in this way awaken 
her from the hypnosis, she would be frightened and 
remain completely deaf, especially had the experi- 
menter forgotten previously to tell her that she 
would hear aeain within such and such a time. 
Charcot has stated that if a strong magnet be held 
for a long time to the ear of the sensitive side of 
patients in such conditions they will hear again. 
Prof. Krafft does this as long as he is able to hold 
up the large horseshoe magnet, weighing several 
kilos ; after some minutes he is compelled to desist 
for want of strength, having obtained nothing more 
than a contracture of the sternocleidomastoideus of 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 53 

the same side. Yet, when the way of auditory sug- 
gestion between him and the patient is completely 
closed, that of suggestion through the sensibility 
of the skin still remains. He writes on her sensi- 
tive arm, slowly and clearly, " Hear," and lo ! the 
deafness has disappeared. The patient answers 
the words: "It is nice that you can now hear 
again," with "Yes." 

In conclusion a post-hypnotic suggestion : Prof. 
Krafft tells the still hypnotized patient that all the 
strange gentlemen have gone, only he, the two 
assistants, and the sister of charity remaining. 
Then he awakens her from the hypnosis. The pa- 
tient opens her eyes, remembers nothing, counts at 
request the persons present, naming herself as the 
fifth, and goes from the room without taking the 
least notice of those present, who, though indeed 
leaving the way to the door clear for her, speak 
among themselves unrestrainedly, call " good- 
night " to her, and brush against her. The patient 
rubs herself on the places touched without embar- 
rassment, as if she had run against something. 

December i6th. — Of late the patient has been 
repeatedly found by the attendants in a dreamy, 
unconscious state, with eyes glazed (auto-hypnosis), 
from which she came to herself as from a deep 
sleep after a few minutes or a quarter of an hour. 

This afternoon she was found at the Schlossberg 
by two fellow-patients. She staggered, looked 
disturbed, vomited red wine several times, then 
fell down, began to cry out, and was brought back 
to the hospital with much trouble. She declares 



54 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

that she wishes to die, that she can live no longer. 
Placed in bed, she complains of great burning in 
the region of the stomach and in the throat, throws 
herself about in pain, crying out and striking. She 
pretends to have picked datura stramonium, and 
poisoned herself with it. No datura grows at the 
place where she was, and the condition does not 
correspond with that of stramonium poisoning. 
Yet the patient seems collapsed (pulse 120, feeble 
heart-sounds, deeply pale, collapsed countenance, 
cold extremities). 

There Is a probability of auto-suggestion of im- 
pending death from the supposed eating of stra- 
monium in auto-hypnosis. 

The collapse continues in spite of treatment with 
stimulants. The patient says, " Is it really so hard 
to die?" and writes on a piece of paper, 'Tlma is 
dying ; pray for her." An attempt is made to free 
her from this condition by means of hypnosis and 
of transfer to I. It is difficult to transfer her ta 
II. A quick recovery Is suggested, sleep until 7 
o'clock, then supper, and sleep again until the morn- 
ing of the 17th, then to awake well. The collapse 
disappears immediately, and all the suggestions 
are fulfilled, save that the patient sleeps until 7:45, 
then takes her supper and goes to sleep again. 

Dec. 17th. — This morning patient awakes In 
great astonishment to find herself in bed. She 
knows only that yesterday afternoon she found a 
plant which she thought was datura, of which she 
had read some days before, and that she chewed a 
part of the stalk in order to die. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 55 

Dec. 1 8th. — Three days ago it was suggested to 
the patient in II. that the assistant, Dr. Hellwig, 
had gone away for three days. 

Dr. Hellwig makes his visits to the patient as 
usual. She does not hear or see him, but is quite 
disturbed and frightened because she sees the door 
open, hears steps, and in her presence the leaves of 
a book are turned by an invisible hand. 

On one occasion Dr. tiellwig comes to her in- 
tentionally with a cigar. She sees the burning 
cigar and the smoke and is quite startled by 
these phenomena, and thinks that she will go 
crazy if these ghosts continue to appear. Other- 
wise during these three days her psychical condi- 
tion offers nothing exceptional. 

After the expiration of the suggested time, viz., 
at the morning visit to-day, she sees Dr. Hellwig 
immediately and greets him as having returned. 

Dec. 1 8th. — Present : Professors v. Jaksch, v. 
Helly, Klemensiewicz, Rembold, Rollett, v. Schroff, 
Doctors Anca, Birnbacher, and the assistant phy- 
sicians. 

Prof. V. Krafft transfers the patient to II. Dr. 
Birnbacher ascertains the following : Pupils equal, 
3 mm. ; reaction to light promptly occurs. The 
intraocular tension seems increased at the moment 
of examination. When an object is moved toward 
the eyes no movement of the lids occurs. 

Striking on the gong causes no reaction. In 
order to judge whether the patient hears the ex- 
perimenter, he relates unpleasant details of her 
life. No mimical reaction. Prof. Rollett attempts 



56 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

to produce mimical reactions by means of plastic 
attitudes without success, and contractures by strok- 
ing the skin with like result. Now the experimen- 
ter takes control of the patient, who has thus far 
shown no reaction, mimical reactions and contrac- 
tures from stroking are immediately successful. 
The experimenter suggests Prof. Rollett's hands 
as his own — no result. The experimenter alone 
can remove the contractures. 

Prof. Rollett produces five wooden cylinders he 
has prepared, which look exactly alike and are of 
like size and weight. 

A. Experiment with the left (sensitive) upper 
extremity : 

Cylinder = 

3 = strong contracture, removed by stroking. 

<( << «( (( <( 

4 = 

1 = 

2 = 

B. Experiment with the left upper extremity 
made anaesthetic by suggested transfer : 

Cylinder = 
4 = 

3 = 
2 = 
1=0 

C. Experiment with right upper extremity made 
sensitive by suggested transfer : 

Cylinder = 
4 = 

3 = slight contracture. 
2 = 
1=0 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 57 

D. Experiment, the left upper extremity again 
made sensitive : 

Cylinder = 
4 = 
3 =: Strong contracture. 



After the experiments Prof. Rollett makes known 
that o and 4 contain a cookey, being made equal 
to the others in weight by litharge ; that i contains 
a glass tube filled with lead ; 2, a brass rod ; and 3, 
a powerful magnet. 

The patient was made deaf by suggestion. Prof. 
V. Jaksch wrote " Hear" on her left arm. To this 
the patient reacted as little as to the stroking of 
her arm when in contracture by a stranger. Then 
Prof. Krafft wrote "Hear" on the left forearm. 
This too was without result ; and a repetition of 
it was without effect. At this Prof. Krafft was in 
great embarrassment ; he examined the sensibility 
and it was present. Then he wrote "Hear" on 
the upper arm and hearing was immediately re- 
stored. It is probable that the sensibility of the 
place on the forearm had been lowered and fatigued 
by the manipulations. 

In conclusion the experimenter places two small 
pieces of English plaster on the patient's back and 
suggests them as blisters.' Besides he draws with 
the percussion hammer a cross 7 cm. long on the 
skin over the biceps of the left arm, and suggests 
to the patient that on the following day at 12 

' This suggestion was without result. 



5^ AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

o'clock, in the same place, a red cross shall appear. 
Transfer to I. 

December 19th. — The possibility that this sug- 
gestion will be fulfilled is doubted. At 1 1 o'clock 
to-day the patient wonders that she has an itching, 
excoriated spot on her right upper arm. She can- 
not remember to have injured herself there. She 
notices something in the morning while washing. 
The examination shows that a red cross, 7 cm. 
long, the surface of which is partly excoriated by 
scratching, is to be seen on the right arm, exactly 
at the place corresponding with that marked on 
the left side yesterday. The cross-line is less per- 
fectly formed, and by 5 p.m. fades to an excoriated 
spot, I cm. wide, forming a part of the left arm of 
the cross. At 5.30 p.m. the patient is transferred 
to II., and it is suggested to her that exactly at 7 
P.M. she appear at the second floor of No. 14 Sack 
Street. There she will meet the professor, open a 
window, and then sing a Hungarian song. Trans- 
ferred again to I., the patient works on, unsuspect- 
ing and cheerful. At the stroke of 7 she becomes 
restless, puts on her hat, and, breathing deeply and 
with a remarkably changed mien, she orders the 
sister to open the door for her. Asked where she 
wishes to go, the patient answers that she must go 
out. She becomes more impatient every moment, 
and every delay in the opening of the door seems 
to increase her excitement. With rapid steps the 
patient hurries to her destination, without exchang- 
ing a word with the physician who accompanies 
her, or wondering about his presence. She returns 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 59 

only short answers to repeated questions ; and 
when near the " Cafe Polar Star," she asks for a 
man from whom she may learn the way to Sack 
Street. 

At the physician's direction, that she should go 
directly to the Hauptplatz and turn into the first 
street at the right, the patient hurries forward, 
kept well in sight by the physician. At the corner 
of Sack and Sporgasse streets, the patient looks 
for the street sign, and, reading the numbers, she 
hurries along to the house indicated, and up the 
stairs to the vestibule ; here she deliberates as to 
which may be the right entrance, and correctly 
chooses that of the assembly room. 

Unembarrassed, the patient walks through the 
assembled company to a window, draws up the 
curtain, opens the window, and sings a Magyar 
song. Now the professor takes her by the arm, 
introducing her to the company. Confused, she 
looks anxiously about her, becomes somewhat re- 
assured at the sight of one of the physicians she 
knows, and leaves, after the professor gives her 
into the care of the physician who has followed her 
here. Scarcely is she out of the room, when she 
no longer knows how to find the stairs which she 
has so lately come up. She asks : " Where am I, 
and how did I come here ? " She grows very 
anxious and agitated. 

The patient no longer knows the name of the 
street and number ; she does not know which di- 
rection to take, and remembers nothing of the 
events at the meetino-. 



6o AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

Far up in Sporgasse Street the patient first 
knows where she is, and points out the Schloss- 
berg way. 

Now the patient demands an explanation of 
where she has been ; and to the answer of the 
physician that she has been to the professor, she 
thinks " the professor is getting really mean." 

The patient can no longer remember to have 
had the company of the physician, and his direc- 
tion to the street, and can give the sister, who 
questions her, no information about her absence. 

December 2 2d. — Transfer to II. The patient 
knows every thing of what occurred in the post- 
hypnotic state, but nothing in the least thereof 
while in I. To-day a fellow patient read in the 
newspaper about the experiments before the medi- 
cal society, and had the indiscretion to tell the 
patient about it. As a result, she is very angry 
and amazed, and her confidence in the professor is 
shaken. 

The red spot suggested in the form of a cross, 
which appeared at a corresponding place on the 
hemianaesthetic side, undergoes tropho-neurotic 
changes in the sense of a superficial necrosis of the 
skin. At and around the sharply defined scab to 
the extent of 2 cm., the senses of pain and touch are 
present, while sensibility is wanting throughout the 
rest of the arm. Its acts like a transfer ; for at the 
corresponding place on the left side the sensibility 
is absent in the form of a cross (anaesthetic long 
line, 9 cm. long, 5 cm. wide ; cross line 7 cm. long^ 
2 cm. wide). 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 6r 

December 24th. — The excoriation heals with a 
very sHght formation of scar. The transfer, which 
up to this time has been found constant, has disap- 
peared ; the sensibiHty is in statu quo ante. 

December 25th. — The patient has (apparently 
while in an auto-hypnotic condition) hidden a 
sheet. Transferred to II., she knows nothingf of its 
whereabouts. 

Post-hypnotic suggestion that she tell the sister 
where the sheet is. The suggestion is effectual, 
but causes new auto-hypnosis. While in this the 
patient knows what she has done in earlier auto- 
hypnotic states. In tears she confesses to the sister 
that she has thrown the sheet into the fire without 
knowing why. 

There is a presumption that auto-hypnosis is a 
peculiar state III., having two modifications, ac- 
cording as it originates spontaneously or as a result 
of post-hypnotic suggestion. 

December 26th. — Severe diarrhoea with colic. 
Transfer to II. Suggestion that the diarrhoea cease 
and that a formed stool be passed at 8 p. m. The 
patient is carefully watched. No more colic, no 
stools ; at 8 p. M. a formed stool, authenticated by 
five physicians. 

December 30th.— In II. suggestion that temper- 
ature measure exactly 'X,']° C at 8 p. m.; exact 
fulfilment. 

December 3ist.^ — In II. suggestion that tempera- 
ture measure 38.5° C. this evening ; to-morrow 
morning, 2yT C. 

A hystero-epileptic attack occurring toward 
evening destroys the suggestion. 



62 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

January i, 1888. — The patient's temperature 
measured 36.9° C. yesterday evening ; 38° C. this 
morninor. 

January 4th, — In II. successful removal of head- 
ache by suggestion. Suggestion that temperature 
measure 36° C. at 8 p.m. 

January 5th. — Temperature yesterday evening 
36.6° C; this morning, 36°. 

Of late the patient more often falls into states of 
auto-hypnosis, probably by fixedly looking at 
objects, especially shining ones. 

January 7th. — In order to study more exactly 
the psychical condition in post-hypnotic suggestion, 
in II. to-day the patient receives the post-hypnotic 
command to appear at the professor's residence 
with the attendant at 6:45 p-^- to get some reading 
matter ready for her there. 

Hystero-epileptic attack at 6:30 p.m. from sorrow 
over the impending departure of the sister of 
charity whom she loves. 

The attack is successfully overcome by hypnosis. 
From this the patient awakes spontaneously at 
6:45. After making her toilet she becomes thought- 
ful, restless, and begins to weep because she has 
forgotten something. She tries to remember, 
becomes excited, and stamps on the floor impa- 
tiently. She says to the sister of charity : " Tell 
me what I am to do — are we to go — indeed, I 
know not where ? You know though that I have 
forgotten what I ought to do." Gradually the 
patient passes into a peculiar state, oblivious to the 
external world (auto-hypnosis), in which she stares 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 63 

before her. After about half an hour she comes to 
herself, again reacts to speech, and says to the 
sister : " Let us go ; I feel that you know what 
I should do ; say then where I am to go. You 
know it, but I have forgotten it." 

The patient again becomes restless and fatigues 
herself trying to refresh her memory. At 8:15 she 
is transferred to II. by Dr. K., and it is suggested 
to her that the professor sends her greeting, and 
forbids further mental effort, and commands her 
to sleep well the whole night. At 8:30 she goes 
to bed and sleeps all night without interruption. 

January 8th. The post-hypnotic suggestion of 
yesterday is repeated to-day in II., but to take 
place at 6 p.m. exactly. 

Until shortly before the specified time the pa- 
tient is engaged in the ward amusing herself with 
other patients. Suddenly she leaves the ward, 
hurries to her room to put on her hat, and goes 
with earnest mien to the sister with the words : 
"Now, dear sister, let us go." 

To the question where, she answers: "You 
know already ; only come with me ! " 

With evident impatience the patient remains at 
the door, in order to hasten her steps toward her 
destination. On the way she speaks with the sister 
now and then, but without saying a word about the 

suggestion ; and only when in H Street does 

she inquire for G Street, where the professor's 

residence is. Readinor the house-numbers on the 

left of G Street, the patient goes by the house, 

becomes plainly embarrassed, turns around, and 



64 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

Stops before the house specified, looking for a. 
directory plate. For a while she deliberates, does 
not notice the assistants passing her, says nothings 
to the sister, and finally pulls hard on the bell. 

Arrived in the entrance hall, she hastens up the 
stairs leading up directly opposite. 

With glazed stare, as if somnolent, the patient, 
appears in the room, and says that she wishes to 
carry back some books. Induced to sit down, she 
recognizes the physicians present (Drs. Hellwig, 
Kornfeld, Anca, professor), and answers their 
questions, but takes no further notice of them, and 
looks dreamily and wonderingly about her. When 
wine is served to her she grows restless and wishes, 
to leave ; she is here simply to get books, not to 
drink wine. Illustrated works are shown to her 
in the parlor ; she makes silly remarks about the: 
single pictures, turns the leaves mechanically, 
seeming only to perceive, not to apperceive. 
When music is made in the next room she ac- 
companies the rhythm with rhythmical nodding of 
her head. 

The patient speaks when addressed, but spon- 
taneously, scarcely at all. She is not capable of a 
continued chain of thought. She loses herself in 
staring ; after a time she says to the sister : " Let 
us go." 

Induced to remain and look at more books, she. 
loses herself again in staring at them, turning leaf 
after leaf automatically. 

Episodically the hypnosis grows deeper, so that 
she takes no notice of what goes on around her. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 65 

For example, one can look in her face and she 
does not perceive it. She performs like an au- 
tomaton what she is told to do. 

It is ascertained that the patient has no knowl- 
edge of having obtained books at the professor's 
house some weeks ago, while in a lucid state. 
With the idea that she was in the auto-hypnotic 
state at the time she left Pesth, she is interrogated 
with reference to the circumstances of her journey 
from Pesth to Graz. Hitherto she knew nothing 
about it, either in the lucid or in the experimental 
hypnotic state. 

To-day she knows about it. She states that she 
received the suggestion in question to go to Graz 
from Sister Sylvestra (in hypnosis ?) ; that she went 
on foot as far as Kis-Czell, requiring about eleven 
days ; that from there she travelled by rail to Graz, 
stopped there at the " Golden Angel," and lodged 
there three days. 

She does not know all the details of her stay in 
Graz up to the time of her arrest, apparently be- 
cause episodes of the lucid state intervene, for 
which memory fails in the auto-hypnosis. 

Thus she knows that she introduced herself at 
the home of the Sisters of Charity (actual). (It 
is learned that there she was peculiar — lost in a 
dream.) Since she did not find admission there, 
she went to the Ursulines. 

The further testingf of consciousness shows that 
now the patient knows nothing of all the events of 
her life while in the lucid and in the experimental 
hypnotic state. On the other hand, she remem- 



66 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

bers the events of the situation in the late post- 
hypnotic suggestion before the medical society, up 
to the time of her return to Sporgasse Street, 
where the patient apparently, after completion of 
the command suggested, again passed into the 
lucid state. At request she sings a strophe from 
the Hungarian song lately sung at the meeting. 
She remembers in general all previous post-hyp- 
notic suggestions. She knows that she lately (in 
auto-hypnosis) carried a package of papers from 
the hospital and hid them in the Schlossberg. She 
remembers the " datura poisoning," with all the 
details. She did it from tcsdium vitce. She does 
not remember being brought back to the hospital 
at that time. The patient does not remember to 
have seen the professor's watch before (with which 
she was hypnotized yesterday). In this state of 
post-hypnotic suggestion she does not grasp for it. 
In her present situation, as in experimental hypno- 
sis, the patient is without initiative and will. She 
reacts only when she is spoken to directly. But 
she remembers the events that have taken place in 
this state. Thus, for example, she knows that she 
now has the third orlass of wine before her. The 
patient is dismissed at 7:45 p.m., and receives the 
command to sing a strophe of the Hungarian song 
to the physicians at their morning visit to-morrow. 
The patient leaves the professor's house with the 
sister ; arrived at the gate, she tries to set herself 
right, does not know in which direction to turn, 
and, frightened, looks at the sister and asks where 
she is. The explanations of the sister and physi- 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 6/ 

clans do not quiet her ; she grows more and more 
restless and anxious, reproaches the sister, and 
grasps her firmly by the arm, accusing her of hav- 
ing some design upon her (patient). The patient 
does not remember to have been at the professor's 
house, and wonders to find herself in an unfamiliar 
place ; and she wishes to escape from the sister, 
because she (the sister) wishes to take her to the 
railway station. 

After much persuasion on the part of the physi- 
cians, the patient seems to become somewhat reas- 
sured ; she keeps close by them, and in the Stadt- 
park she first knows where she is, since she points 
out the Paulusthor. 

It is exceedingly annoying and depressing to the 
patient not to know how she suddenly came in the 
street. Arrived at home, she slams the door an- 
grily, and is very much put out with the sister, and 
does not speak to her. 

A careful watching of the patient seems neces- 
sary ; for, in her despair about the unexplained 
situation in the street, she might harm herself. 
This possibility is further shown by her words to 
Dr. H., to whom she declares that she cannot live 
any longer ; for she is either insane or not like 
other normal persons. 

After much trouble the patient is finally calmed, 
and the promise of an explanation to-morrow is 
given to her. 

January 9th. — To-day the patient is given an 
explanation of the events of yesterday and is satis- 
fied. In I. she knows nothinor of them and de- 



68 A.V EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

scribes her embarrassment when she found herself 
in the street last evening without knowing how she 
•came there from the hospital. 

The patient knows nothing while in II. of the 
events of yesterday during the post-hypnotic sug- 
gestion. 

Probably a state III. exists during the duration 
of such a condition, which begins as soon as the 
post-hypnotic suggestion becomes active, and dis- 
appears as soon as the post-hypnotic suggestion is 
fulfilled. 

This state III, may be conceived as auto-hypno- 
tic, and the awakening of consciousness of the 
post-hypnotic suggestion, which, until the time for 
its performance, is latent, as inducing (auto-) 
hypnosis. 

Suggestions given in III. seem to be ineffectual ; 
at least the suggestion that in I. to-day she sing 
the Hungarian song, which had been sung twice in 
III., was not performed. 

Since the sister of charity, whom she loves, is to 
leave the hospital to-day, and this cannot occur 
without great emotion and danger of att*' :ks, the 
patient receives the suggestion in II. to go to sleep 
at 12/M.y to sleep uninterruptedly until 10 a.m., to- 
morrow, and at waking to measure 38° C. The 
patient refuses, but finally accepts the suggestion 
given when repeated in the form of a command. 

At precisely 1 2 m, the patient falls asleep in her 
chair. She is later undressed and put to bed. (It 
was forgotten to suggest to her." sleep, undressed, 
in bed ". — The hypnotic suggestions are always 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 69 

obeyed literally.) The patient sleeps twenty-two 
hours continuously. 

January loth. The patient awakes at the stroke 
of 10 o'clock. Her first words are : "Sister, bring 
the thermometer." The taking of the temperature 
gives 37° C. instead of 38° C. She complains of 
headache ; her condition is peculiar, dreamy, and 
cross. She does not understand her situation. 
Everything gives the impression that she is still in 
III. induced by the post-hypnotic suggestion. She 
is transferred to II. and her headache removed by 
suggestion. After being transferred to I. she is im- 
mediately well and free from mimicry, but she 
wonders greatly to find herself in bed, because she 
was seated in a chair a short time before. She 
pushes back the breakfast offered her, with the 
remark that she has just eaten her dinner. It is 
evident that the patient thinks it is Monday (Janu- 
ary 9th) noon. 

Only with difficulty is she convinced that she 
has slept twenty-two hours. 

January i ith. — An attack is threatened. Trans- 
fer to A. Suggestion that she have no more 
attacks. Successful removal of cardialgia and 
dyspepsia by suggestion. 

January 12th. — Auto-hypnosis lasting several 
minutes from staring at a gas-flame. 

January 14th. — On the 13th successful sugges- 
tion that her temperature measure that morning 
38.5° C, this morning 37° C. 

January i8th. — In II. removal by suggestion of 
dangerous tcBdiimi vitcE. 



70 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

January 20th. — The patient misses a photograph 
of the professor, which had been presented to her 
at her request. She believes it to have been stolen, 
which is improbable. In state II. she also knows 
nothing of its whereabouts. There is a possibility 
that, while in III,, the patient has hidden it some- 
where. In II. to-day suggestion that at 5:15 p.m. 
she find the photograph and put it in its old 
place. Precisely at 5:15 the patient comes from 
her room and announces that the photograph is 
again in its old place. If, as is probable, she was 
in III., she remained in that state but a very short 
time. 

January 27th. — Last night the patient was found 
in an auto-somnambulic state. She had thrust her 
feet through the grate of the window. At the 
morning visit to-day she is found in an easy-chair, 
her face buried in her hands. She does not react 
when addressed, and does not see the physicians 
that have entered. There is a glassy stare ; muscles 
cataleptiform. 

The professor sits opposite her and observes her. 
Suddenly the hitherto masklike face lights up with 
expression. The patient has perceived the ticking 
of the professor's watch. She seeks for the watch 
in a dreamy state, takes it out and sticks it in a fold 
of the upholstery of her chair. 

Now Dr. A. seats himself opposite the patient, 
but she pushes him away with her foot. 

Dr. M. puts his watch to the patient's left ear ; 
she follows the scent and undoes the watch 
deftly, putting it in her dress pocket. The same. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 7 1 

thing- occurs to Dr. K. with his watch. Now, 
having the two watches in her pocket, she goes to 
the door of her room, which is locked, and knocks 
until it is opened ; she knocks at the second locked 
door out in the corridor. This is opened, and the 
patient walks on, as with a purpose, to the oleander 
trees, digs up the earth with her fingers, and buries 
the watches. 

Without perceiving those accompanying her, the 
patient returns to her room, and there she so far 
awakes from her dreamy state as to resume her 
knittinor and the readingr of a book. 

That she is In state III. is shown by the fact that 
she in no way perceives her visitors. 

The patient takes no notice of repeated ques- 
tions. The professor closes the book lying open 
on her lap ; she becomes vexed, and looks for the 
place again. The professor sings a few notes of a 
song — immediate catalepsy from fright. 

Dr. A. puts his watch to her left ear. The patient 
undoes it eagerly and puts it in her pocket. 

Dr. M. plays with two silver guldens ; the chink- 
ing of the metal immediately excites the attention 
of her dreamy consciousness, the features light up, 
and she immediately reaches for the money and 
puts it in her pocket. 

The professor mystifies her by rattling his keys ; 
she listens and attacks the professor's pocket. She 
perpetrates a formal robbery — strikes, pushes, 
struggles with the professor until she gets them, and 
puts them also in her pocket. 

Now the patient tries to carry the keys out ; she 



72 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

knocks on the door, and, as she is not let out, she 
finally hides the keys behind the stove. 

With reference to sensibility, in the auto-hypnotic 
state the patient is the same as in states I. and II. 

Now the patient is transferred to state II. by 
stroking her forehead ; communication with the 
professor is immediately restored and state III. 
changred to state II. 

The patient declares that she feels sad but cannot 
tell the reason, because several gentlemen are in 
the room. She sees five persons, and they might 
go out. 

Now she speaks of the circumstances of her 
family and is moved to tears. The professor 
reminds her of his command that she have no more 
emotional excitement : " You must not excite 
yourself ! " The patient answers : " Yes ; but when 
I must, I must." 

By command to awake the patient is transferred 
to I., and she wonders to see her visitors and asks 
when they came in. 

New hypnosis. Suggestion : " I forbid you to 
leave your bed, save for necessity." (At night was 
meant.) 

January 28th. — When retransf erred to state I., 
the patient incorrectly understood the suggestion 
not to leave her bed, immediately after went to 
bed, and therefore transferred herself in the post- 
hypnotic suggestion to the preceding day. This is 
evident from the fact that the patient knows noth- 
ing of the events of yesterday, and believes to-day 
to be Friday (27th). 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 73 

Yesterday the patient fell into auto-hypnosis, as 
a result of fixedly looking at a knitting-needle. 
To-day the patient says that she only came to her- 
self at 3 o'clock P.M., and desired something to eat. 

The patient knows nothing of the events up to 
3 o'clock P.M. 

At the visit the patient is transferred to state II. 
by the command, " Go to sleep ! " and it is sug- 
gested to her to have no more attacks ; and, too, 
that she must not put herself to sleep hereafter by 
looking at shining objects. 

Retransferred to state I., the patient is ordered 
to look at a shining clock on the wall ; and it is 
evident that the suggestion that she be insensitive 
to shining objects, is not effectual. On the con- 
trary, she passes into auto-hypnosis as a result of 
looking at the clock. 

The patient is certainly in state III., since she 
does not react to the experimenter. She searches 
about in her pocket for the watches she took yes- 
terday, and is again in exactly the situation in 
which she was yesterday when transferred from 
III. to II. 

Since the pocket is empty, she goes to the ole- 
ander trees and digs for the watches ; and she is 
much surprised not to find them. Eyes open, gaze 
somewhat glassy. 

The patient notices only what is in relation with 
her ideas. 

She starts back in surprise, seeks in her pockets, 
and finds nothing ; she returns to her room, and 
seeks in vain for the three watches in the uphol- 



■74 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

stery of the arm-chair, becoming dangerously ex- 
cited, and trembling with agitation. 

The patient is transferred to state II. by strok- 
ing her forehead. The excitement disappears im- 
mediately : the whole world of consciousness of 
III. has become latent. She knows nothing of the 
stealing of the watches in state III. In state II. 
the ticking of a watch held near her, is painful to 
her ; she reaches for it, but as if to thrust it away. 

Hypnotic suggestion : " You must not and will 
not put yourself to sleep by looking at shining ob- 
jects ; and take pains not to look at them. You 
will not hereafter fall into this artificial sleep, and 
generally from now on sleep from 9 p.m. until 6 

A.M." V 

February ist. — Henceforth II. produced^ almost 
daily to carry out the following therapeutic sugges- 
tions : 

1. " You cannot and must not have any more 
attacks." (None have occurred since January 7th.) 

2. " You cannot and must not fall asleep any 
more from looking at shining objects." 

3. "You cannot and must not commit suicide." 

4. " You must sleep from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m." 
The patient is, as usual, made to repeat these sug- 
gestions. She does it in a purely automatic way, 
save that with the third suggestion sometimes a 
mental struggle and a lively play of features occur. 
Besides, she does not recite the third in the same 
business-like tone as she does the other suggestions, 
but in a voice tremulous with excitement. Attacks 
henceforth do not occur ; careful experiments in 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 75 

which she is allowed to look at shrning objects do 
not induce auto-hypnosis ; no traces of tcedijcm vitce 
are henceforth observed ; the patient sleeps from 
9 until 6 o'clock. 

February iith. — In II. experiment with a " sug- 
gestion mentale." The professor concentrates his 
mind on the thought that the patient shall take 
his watch. The patient, being directed to divine 
his thought, becomes restless and exerts herself so 
much that the unsuccessful experiment is con- 
cluded with the declaration that the professor was 
thinking of nothing. 

February 12th. — Violent emotional excitement. 
The patient wonders that this time she does not 
have an attack. She is not conscious of the sugf- 
gestion. 

February 14th. — An evening temperature of 36° 
C, twice successfully suggested. Yesterday, on 
account of constipation, a stool was successfully 
suggested at 1 1 o'clock. Diarrhoea with colic 
suggested to occur at 6 p.m. to-day. Precisely at 
6 P.M., a profuse watery stool (transudation ?), 
containing formed material from the intestines. 
Since the patient emptied the bladder a short time 
before, and a chemical examination of the fluid 
showed that only a very small amount of urates 
were present, the fluid can only be regarded as 
intestinal secretion. The patient comes from stool 
complaining of griping and rumbling of the bowels, 
and pressing her hands on her abdomen. 

February 15th. — In hypnosis to-day the patient 
is ordered to tell about the stealing of the watches. 



^^ AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

She knows nothing of It. However, since the pa- 
tient on one occasion hid her brother's watch in a 
mattress, she is asked directly about it. She 
knows of it, and says that at that time her brother 
hypnotized her. Now, as before, she knows no- 
thing of the watches which she took while in III. 

February i6th. — In I. it is ascertained that the 
patient has a normal sense of smell in the left 
nostril, but not in the right. Transferred to II., 
she reacts to no odor whatever. By suggestion,^ 
unpleasant odors (ex. assafoetida) are perceived 
on the left side as attar of roses ; balsam. vitcB 
Hoffinanni has the odor of human excrement. It 
is now suggested to her that she can smell just as 
well with the right as with the left nostril. She 
can now smell on the right side, and distinguishes 
unpleasant and pleasant odors correctly ; but the 
suggestion is not fulfilled in so far as transfer of 
the olfactory sense, and, at the same time, of sensi- 
bility, has taken place from left to right (the left 
side of the nose presents anaesthesia and anosmia). 
During the existence of the transfer any sugges- 
tion of smell desired is possible on the right side. 
After the change to I. the transfer disappears and 
the status quo aute is reestablished. In II. to-day 
two tablespoonfuls of castor oil are given as cham- 
pagne, and it is suggested that in exactly forty- 
eight hours, on the i8th, a formed stool must be 
passed, and that in the meantime there must be no 
stool. 

February i8th. — Precisely at 9 o'clock a.m. a 
formed stool, none having been passed in the 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. Jl 

meantime. To-day in II. suggestion that the right 
upper extremity must henceforth be sensitive : im- 
mediate return of sensibiHty. It is maintained for 
sensibiHty to pain ; the senses of touch and tempera- 
ture remain Hmited to volar surface of the hand. 

February 19th. — In II. lasting restoration of the 
sensibility of the right side of the face. It is main- 
tained objectively ; i. e., for other persons than the 
experimenter. 

February 2 ist. — To-day short auto-hypnosis from 
looking at a shining ball, in spite of the continuous 
suggestive interdiction. In II. the patient knows of 
the auto-hypnosis, and, when ordered to tell about it, 
excuses herself by saying that it was not her fault. 

In II. it is required of the patient that on the 
following morning she must allow a circle to ap- 
pear on the skin as a red line, which is drawn with 
a pencil on the outside of the dress over the left 
scapula. Suggestion in II. to-day that her temper- 
ature, from the morning of the 2 2d, be 37° C. for 
three days. 

(On 2 1 St, A.M. 36.8°, M. 2)7°y EVE. 37.4" C.) Tem- 
perature on 22d, A.M. 37.1°, M. 37°, EVE. T,'j°; 23d, 
A.M. 37°, M. 2>7°y EVE. T^j" \ 24th, A.M. 37 (further 
taking of the temperature prevented by bandages 
in the axillae). 

February 2 2d. — The circle cannot be seen. Or- 
dered to speak about it in II., the patient answers : 
" You did not do that well ; you made it on the 
dress instead of on the skin." The suggestion is 
repeated, and this time the circle is drawn directly 
on the skin. 



78 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

February 23d. — To-day, the circle is there, but 
on the corresponding place on the right side, 
exactly 4 cm. in diameter, like the one drawn on 
the left side yesterday. It is formed by a red fur- 
row 2-5 mm. wide, within which the upper layers 
of the skin are wanting, and there is a yellowish- 
gray scab. In the region of the circle, the patient 
has itching. Feeling for pain, touch, and tempera- 
ture is here present; but is not transferred, since 
the corresponding spot on the left side is not anaes- 
thetic. Prof. Lipp expresses the opinion that this 
suggested circle can have been produced neither 
with needles nor by any other mechanical or chemi- 
cal means. Signs of inflammatory reaction are 
everywhere wanting. 

February 24th. — To day, in the presence of Prof. 
Lipp, in 1 1, the patient has a letter K, cut from zinc 
plate, pressed on the skin internally to the left 
shoulder-blade, and it is commanded that to-morrow 
afternoon a surface of skin, exactly corresponding 
with the extent of the plate, must be found to be 
blood-red. At the same time, in order to avoid the 
effect of irritation, it is suggested that at this spot 
there must be no itching. Thereupon the thorax 
and back are so covered with gauze bandages and 
wadding by Prof. Lipp, that the place of suggestion 
absolutely can not be reached, and the bandage is 
sealed four times ; an external bandage is made 
and this also sealed twice, and the seal is taken by 
Prof. Lipp. After being transferred to I. the patient 
evidently knows nothing of the events of the hyp- 
nosis. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 79 

February 25th. — Afternoon. Transfer to II. Prof. 
Lipp, with many other physicians, examines the 
bandage and finds it and the seals uninjured. 

On the place suggested is an irregularly shaped 
surface, 5.5 cm. long, 4 cm. wide, over which the 
epidermis is loosened and still recognizable in the 
shreds hanging on the edges of the denuded sur- 
face. At the edges the surface is moist, while the 
central part is still covered by the remains of the 
epidermis, which feels very dry and looks yellow. 
The immediate neighborhood of the surface is red- 
dened. From its right edge an arm, 4 cm. long 
and 2 cm. wide, runs downward to the right ; and 
one, 3 cm. long, upwards to the right. Over these 
arms the epidermis is also imperfect and easily re- 
moved, and the underlying skin secretes moisture. 
The skin around the arms is reddened, but without 
any sign of inflammation. 

In order that the course of this trophoneurotic, 
necrobiotic process, induced by suggestion, may be 
undisturbedly followed, absence of pain and the 
interdiction to allow no one but the physicians to 
see her back, are suggested. 

February 26th. — The circle lately suggested, as 
occurred with the cross suggested in December, 
presents a yellow scab with hyperaemic edges, but 
with no inflammatory reaction. The surface of 
yesterday presents a dry, parchment-like surface. 
Both the arms are devoid of epidermis and are 
hyperaemic. 

February 29th. — The circle comes off as a scab, 
and exposes a red surface with growing epidermis. 



80 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

The other surface is like parchment. The upper 
arm is fading ; on the lower one there are formation 
of scab and traces of suppuration. Suggestion to- 
day that the temperature in the evening, and on 
the two following days, measure 36° C. Temper- 
ature this morning, 38.3°; this noon, 38.6°; this 
evening, 40° C. (intercurrent violent emotional 
excitement). 

On March ist, a.m. 36°, noon 36°, evening 36.1°; 
March 2d, a.m. 36.1°, noon 39.2°, evening 37.2° C. 
(intercurrent violent emotional excitement at 
noon). 

March 2d. — The parchment-like surface and the 
rio-ht lower arm of the letter rub off. There is 
hyperaemia with abundant formation of epidermis 
at the denuded spots. 

March 5th. — Itching at spot of suggestion. The 
patient does not know what causes the itching on 
her back. New suggestion in II. that she feel no 
more itching. 

March 6th. — No more itching. The formation 
of skin over the circle and the other surface is 
beginning. 

March 8th. — Suggestion in II. that her heart 
beats too rapidly, and that it must beat only 80 
during the day in I. : Negative result (pulse 90 — 
108 — 96 during the day). 

March 9th. — The before-mentioned suggestions 
(v. Feb. 1st) are repeated in II. almost daily with 
good result. Likewise the suggested restoration 
of the sensibility of the skin of the right upper ex-^ 
tremity and face is maintained. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 8 1 

Since the patient is often thinking about the 
suicide of her relatives and is depressed by it, it is 
suggested to her : " I remove from your memory 
the death of your relatives." The patient, being 
asked immediately about the manner of death of 
her relatives, answers : " I do not know." 

March loth. — Severe hystero-epileptic attack this 
afternoon followingf violent emotional excitement 
and menses. Following this, a deep, spontaneous 
hypnotic state in the sense of lethargy — no reaction 
of the senses to stimulation ; limbs completely 
flaccid, not cataleptiform ; deep reflexes increased. 

An attempt is made to transfer the patient to II., 
and thus to come into communication with her. 
It is successfully induced. Now the patient an- 
swers and is again cataleptic. 

It is evident that the last attack has destroyed 
all the suggestions. Right hemiansesthesia is again 
present. To the question how her relatives died, 
she answers : " By suicide." 

Other physicians are enabled to communicate 
with her by suggestion. The professor says to the 
patient : " Dr. X. will ask you a question." She 
answers this one question, but does not hear Dr. 
X's following questions. 

When another gentleman is given three ques- 
tions, the three and no more are answered for 
him. 

The previous suggestions of February ist are 
repeated, and she is further assured that her rela- 
tives died a natural death. Now the patient is 
transferred to I. 



82 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

March 12th. — In 11. suggestion to write a letter 
to the sister who has left, telling her love and 
affection. The patient writes it fluently. When a 
card is held between her eyes and the paper, she 
declares that she cannot write and stops. After 
the fulfilment of the suggested command, the pa- 
tient again sinks into deep apathy. This morning 
suggestion that temperature during to-day, to- 
morrow, and day after to-morrow, measure con- 
stantly 36.0° C. 

Phonographic experiment : The patient repeats 
every thing after the experimenter automatically 
and with the same tone, as soon as he lays his 
finger either on her forehead or right or left 
temple, and speaks. It is not necessary that the 
speech be addressed to the patient. There is no 
result at other parts of her body, and also at the 
effective spots when the experimenter touches the 
patient with a cane or with his gloved finger. 
Other persons are unable to elicit phonographic 
action. 

To the experimenter it is the same, whether he 
touch the right or left temple. In II. as well as in 
I. the patient is unable, even by the exercise of 
will, to perceive on the right side any sensible 
stimulus whatever. 

March 13th. — In II. phonographic experiments 
as yesterday. 

March 15th. — Temperature on March 12th, noon 
36.1°, evening 36°; March 13th, a.m. 36.2°, noon 
36°, evening 36° ; March 14th, a.m. 36°, noon 36°, 
evening 36.6° C. (March nth, a.m., 38.2°, noon 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 83 

39.4°, evening 38.8°; March 12th, a.m. 38. i°; March 
15th, A.M. 2i"].2)'', noon 'i^']°, evening 37.6° C.) 

To-day while Prof. K. is testing the relations of 
the sensibility of the skin of the forehead, Dr. Gugl 
holds the patient's eyes closed. Suddenly the pa- 
tient ceases to answer K. It is evident that II. has 
been induced by Dr. G. She reacts to G., but not 
to the usual experimenter. 

G. makes the phonographic experiments. Pro- 
fessor K. asks him to have the patient say : " Pro- 
fessor K. is a swindler," and then to give him a 
question with the patient. She repeats her words 
automatically. The professor asks In a sharp tone : 
"■ How could you call me a swindler?" Now she 
becomes disturbed and in great excitement ejacu- 
lates : " Because it was said to me." 

After transfer to I. by the unaccustomed experi- 
menter, the patient complains of headache and 
feels very uncomfortable. Professor K. again 
transfers her to II. with difficulty and an unusual 
expenditure of time. 

Now it is seen that Dr. G. still can influence the 
patient phonographically ; but otherwise he has no 
power over her and does not exist for her. 

Transferred to I. by Professor K., the patient 
feels perfectly well. 

March i8th. — In II. to-day Injection of pilo- 
carpin 0.02 grammes, with the suggestion that it is 
for curative effect, but that the secretion of saliva 
and sweat must not occur. Soon thereafter the 
patient's countenance wears an angry expression, 
and being questioned, she exclaims : " I cannot 
obey you every day ! " 



.^4 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

Salivation and sweating occur in a slight but 
noticeable degree, but the other effects of pilo- 
•carpin are very intense, even to cyanosis and sHght 
collapse. The result must be considered negative. 

March 2 2d. — To-day the patient is hypnotized 
in jest by stroking her forehead with a delicate 
brush, instead of with the hand as usual. She 
seems to be in state II. and reacts to the experi- 
menter. He wishes to have the customary thera- 
peutic suggestions recited. The patient tries hard 
but knows none of them. 

"Of what did your grandfather die?" — "He 
hung himself." The professor supposes that an 
unnoticed hystero-epileptic attack has destroyed 
the suggestion, or the possibility that, as a result 
of the unusual (physical) stimulus, instead of the 
usual (psychical ?) one, a preliminary indefinable 
modification of II. has occurred. 

The patient is removed from the hypnosis by 
the command to awake, and then immediately 
hypnotized again by stroking her brow with the 
hand. Now she knows all the suggestions and 
recites them drawlingly. 

New experiment with tinct. thymiani. The 
phial is laid on the nape of the neck, which is not 
otherwise touched, and the neck is left free. No 
reaction to the thyme. 

Now the phial is taken away, the dress closed 
about the neck, the head pressed forward by 
placing the hand on the nape, and the chin some- 
what raised. (The position during the earlier 
experiment with thyme.) 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 85 

As a result of contracture of the muscles of the 
neck thus produced, and the constriction of the 
neck by the narrow edge of the dress cyanosis, 
turgescence of the face, and increase of the circum- 
ference of the neck from 34 to 37 cm., occur im- 
mediately. All this disappears when the patient 
is ordered to bend her head down, and thus the 
pressure is removed from the veins of the neck. 

March 23d. — At 8 o'clock p.m., hystero-epileptic 
attack after violent emotional excitement. It is 
successfully overcome by means of transfer to II. 
The patient follows the suggestion to sleep ; but 
the sleep is repeatedly disturbed by frightful 
dreams (appearance of her father, commanding 
suicide). To-night, aroused from sleep, she writes 
on a piece of paper : " Delusion ; dreams ; the 
whole world is a lie. That we exist, is only a 
fancy." The patient spends the remainder of the 
night sleeping quietly. 

March 28th. — The patient has not been hypno- 
tized in the meantime. To-day this is done in 
order to be sure of the permanence of the thera- 
peutic suggestions (comp. Feby. ist.). It is seen 
that the longer pause in their reproduction was 
detrimental. The patient recalls them with diffi- 
culty, hesitatingly, and with painful effort. Being 
taken to task for her absent-mindedness and ad- 
monished to be obedient, the patient says : '* I 
will do what you wish." 

In II. she knows nothine of the events of her 
life in III. and I. She knows, however, that she 
once took her brother's watch. Could this have 
happened in II. ? 



86 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

Made to speak about this fact, it is learned from 
her that her brother had put her to sleep at that 
time, and she had heard the ticking of his watch. 
Question : " Is that unpleasant to you ?" — " Yes." 
Question : " Is it unpleasant to you, if I ask you 
all about that ?" Answer : " I must, if you ask ; 
but it is not pleasant to me." 

To a series of questions with reference to the 
events of her life in I. and III., the patient tries 
hard to answer, and always gives the stereotyped 
reply : " I do not know." 

She is commanded to count three and then 
awake, instead of the experimenter's counting 
three as usual. The patient counts three, and 
then opens her eyes ; but as a result of this un- 
usual method of waking, she is not in I., but in III. 

Now she knows every thing about her journey 
from Pesth to Graz, undertaken while in III., as 
well as about the events of her life in Graz up to 
the time of her admission to the hospital. 

She explains the theft of the watch on October 
20, 1887, in that the watch hanging on the wall 
was unpleasant to her on account of its ticking. 
That she stole the linen is unknown to her. 

With difficulty and resistance on her part, the 
patient is transferred to II. by means of the cus- 
tomary stroking of her brow. Immediately the 
attitude and facial expression assume the charac- 
teristics corresponding with this state. The ques- 
tions previously asked in III. with reference to 
the events of her life in III. are repeated, but the 
patient can remember nothing. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 8/ 

It is evident that the customary therapeutic 
suggestions are also erased ; so that they must be 
"fiven anew. 

Apparently the spontaneous or induced state 
III. has the same destructive effect on post-hyp- 
notic suggestions as the hystero-epileptic attacks. 

The transfer to I. is now easily made by the 
command to awake at three (counted by the 
experimenter). 

March 31st. — To-day in II. recitation of the 
therapeutic suggestions. At the command that 
she herself count three and then awake, the patient 
again passes into III. She knows every thing that 
has previously taken place in III., answers all 
questions about it, as yesterday, and angrily puts a 
watch, which is held to her left ear, into her pocket ; 
transferred to II., she knows nothing of III., noth- 
ing of of the appropriation of the watch while in that 
state, and also nothing of the therapeutic sugges- 
tions, which are given again. At three, counted 
by the experimenter, she awakes in I. smiling and 
contented, after it was further suggested to her to 
awake, feeling cheerful and pleasant. 

April 6th. — Since April 3d, the day on which 
the professor went away on a journey, she has not 
been hypnotized. Hystero-epileptic attack to-day. 
Thereafter great tccdhmi vitcs. Transferred to 11. 
by Dr. Kornfeld, the patient no longer knows the 
therapeutic suggestions (destructive effect of the 
attack). They are given anew. Thereafter satis- 
factory status quo ante in I. 

April loth. — Menses until April nth. 



88 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

April nth. — Severe cardialgia and bloody vom- 
iting. In II. at noon ; suggestion to sleep until 
5 P.M., and to awaken feeling no pain. Awakening 
at 3 P.M. in III. The patient receives a letter 
from the professor to the effect that on April 1 2th, 
at the morning visit, she is to go to sleep in the 
presence of the assistants, recite the therapeutic 
suggestions, and then allow herself to be awakened 
by Dr. K. The patient lays the letter aside un- 
opened. 

At 5 o'clock (end of the post-hypnotic sleep- 
suggestion) the patient passes into I., immediately 
reads the letter, and, finding it unintelligible, asks 
for an explanation, and is put off until the morning 
of the 1 2th. 

April 1 2th. — This morning the patient writes to 
the professor, among other things : "■ But I do not 
understand your letter entirely. You write that I 
shall recite something to Dr. K., and then be 
awakened by him. Probably you forgot to write 
what I should recite to him, for, as much as I rack 
my brains, I am unable to understand the meaning 
of these sentences." 

At the morning visit the patient is found in I. 
Her attention being called to the letter lying there, 
she passes into III. immediately. She knows about 
the letter, and to the question how many persons 
are in the room, declares : " There are three : my- 
self, you, and the assistant." But actually there are 
two more physicians and the sister of charity present. 

From this it is evident that the patient read in 
the professor's letter: " with the assistant" instead 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 89 

of "with the assistants." In this state she reacts 
to Dr. K. with the assistant, not to the other per- 
sons present. She takes the watches of these two 
assistants, which are held to her ear, and does not 
react to those of the others. The other assistant 
(Dr. Hellwig) she does not know to call by name, 
and designates him shortly as " the assistant." 

After Dr. K. has repeatedly asked the patient in 
vain : " What has the professor required of you ?" 
she is transferred by him to II. by stroking her 
forehead. 

Scarcely is she in II. when, unasked, she recites 
the four therapeutic suggestions. At the same 
time Dr. K. wishes to remove the pain in her 
stomach by suggestion ; but the patient does not 
accept the suggestion, and exclaims angrily : 
" You should awaken me now ! " The transfer to 
I. is brought about by simple command. 

April 1 8th. — Of late the patient has become 
troublesome to the nigfht-attendant on account of 
sexual forwardness. Masturbation, especially pre- 
menstrual, is proved. 

The professor, having returned from his journey, 
in II. removes the night-attendant by suggestion, 
and forbids her unchastity of thought and speech 
and act. The acceptance of these suggestions is 
brought about with difficulty. 

April 20th. — The patient is much disturbed be- 
cause she feels the presence of ghosts, sees chairs 
moved and doors opened by unseen hands, etc. 
(Movements of the night-attendant removed by 
suggestion.) 



90 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

In order to quiet the patient, in II. the return of 
the night-attendant is announced to her ; but at 
the same time the suggestion of chastity is sharp- 
ened with the other suggestions. 

Now the patient receives the suggestion to 
count three and then to awaken. She passes into 
III. Transfer to II. is brouorht about with diffi- 
culty. Now again the patient knows nothing of 
the five suggestions. These and the return of the 
night-attendant must be repeated. 

The professor suggests a pleasant awakening 
when he counts three : I. occurs at three. 

April 24th. — Since the above, II. has been induced 
and the suggestions recited less frequently, and 
therefore the patient reproduces them with great 
difficulty ; her conduct, however, shows that they 
are still effective. After occasional renewal of the 
suggestions they are recited very promptly without 
deliberation. From now on II. with suggestions 
at least every second day. Avoidance of state III. 

May 3d. — In I. to-day : niinimal contraction 
in the left ulnar reofion with extra-muscular eal- 
vanic stimulus with Ka. C, 1.6 mille-amperes (12 
Leclanche-elements). After the current is closed 
for a time, minimal (secondary) excitability with 
1.4 m. a. (10 elements). The patient is transferred 
to II., and paralysis of the left upper extremity 
suggested. Immediately flaccid paralysis, trans- 
fer of sensibility to the right upper extremity, 
minimal deep reflexes, vasomotor paresis. Mini- 
mal primary excitability (as above) with 0.9. m.a. 
(6 elements) ; "secondary with the same strength of 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 9 1 

current. In the state of paralysis, likewise, the 
galvanic excitability from the nerve is considerably 
increased. 

Examination of the back to-day shows that the 
circle suggested on February 2 2d, now, as before, 
is visible as a hyperaemic line. The surface sug- 
gested on February 24th appears livid red from 
hyperaemia throughout its whole extent, in the 
sense of dilatation of the vessels of the skin. 
The right inferior arm of the K is still clearly 
visible. 

The upper layers of the skin over the entire sur- 
face are thickened. 

The patient in II. is required to write from dic- 
tation and to put an h for every r. She writes : 
" Hosen heifen heichlich hiickwahts im Gahten."' 

May 5th. — Menses to-day without annoyance. 
Since menstrual attacks are to be feared, the pa- 
tient receives in II. 5.0 gram, of bromide as Hun- 
ofarian wine to drink. In I. she wonders that she 
has such a salty taste. 

May 6th. — The patient is disturbed to-day. She 
complains to the sister of severe pain under the 
left mamma, thinks that the professor has burned 
her in the night, and begs the sister to obtain a 
retreat for her in a convent, where she will be se- 
cure against such attacks. The sister's refusal 
causes a hystero-epileptic attack. The assistant 
physician. Dr. Hellwig, being called, tries to in- 
duce II. by stroking her forehead. But she passes 
into III. and asks if she may sing the song sung by 

' Rosen reifen reichlich riickwarts im Ciarten. 



92 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

her three months ago in Sack Street ; she sings it^ 
then wanders about aimlessly, complaining of pain 
and weeping bitterly. She sleeps for two hours, 
awakes in pain, and refuses hypnosis offered by 
Dr. Kornfeld, but demands it importunately of the 
sister, who finally consents and induces a kind of 
II. by means of stroking her forehead. Now the 
patient gives the following explanation of the ori- 
gin of the pain : " Last night an old man came to 
me ; he looked like a priest and came in company 
with a sister of charity, on whose collet there was 
a large golden B. I was afraid of her. The old 
man was amiable and friendly. He dipped a pen 
in the sister's pocket, and with it wrote a W and B 
on my skin under the left breast. Once he dipped 
his pen badly and made a blot in the middle of the 
figure. This spot and the B pain me severely, but 
the W does not. Four days ago the old man ap- 
peared to me with a red pillow in his hands. A 
W was to be seen on the pillow. The man ex- 
plained the W as meaning that I should go to the- 
M church and confess at the W confessional. He 
forbade me to say any thing of his visit, and com- 
manded me to pray lest I become wicked ; and I 
must not commit suicide, else I would not go to 
heaven. He awakened me by laying his hands on 
my forehead, and went away." 

After this account the patient cried out and said r 
" There stands the man again. Now he has chains 
on his hands." 

After being treated with stroking of her brow 
by the sister, the patient grows quiet, wanders 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 93, 

about aimlessly for a time, and then goes to sleep 
on the window-seat. The night is passed quietly, 
partly in sleep, and partly, possibly, in state III. 

May 7th. — A thorough examination of the affair 
makes the supposition that a hypnosis was at- 
tempted secretly by an unauthorized person seem 
impossible, and leaves only the possibility that the 
patient experienced the affair with the priest in 
delirium and hallucination. 

The patient awoke this morning in I. and com- 
plained of severe pains under the left mamma. In 
the afternoon she receives the professor in indigna- 
tion and anger, and reproaches him'with having 
caused her the pain in the night. It was neces- 
sary to give his word of honor that it was not so, 
in order to conciliate the patient. Now, however, 
with reference to her pain and wounds, she faces a 
conundrum. 

The examination shows the painful spot to be 
a heart-shaped figure under the left mamma. 
Within it are superficial losses of substance, pene- 
trating to the corium, which have a resemblance 
to a reversed W and B. Between the two is a 
hyperaemic, raised spot on the skin, \ cm. in ex- 
tent, with other similar points. 

The B-figure and the elevation are very pain- 
ful. The figures are white, like fat, and some spots 
are horny from superficial drying. The borders 
of the figures present a hyperaemic edge. Nowhere 
in this peculiar neurotrophic alteration of the skin, 
which is identical with those previously produced 
experimentally, are there traces of inflammation. 



94 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

For this reason, the supposition that this injury 
may be the result of a suggestion, originating in 
hallucinatory delirium, is authorized. The patient 
is now transferred to II. by the professor and 
questioned about the origin of the injury. She 
tells about it verbatim as she did to the sister on 
May 6th. When the professor wishes to hear the 
therapeutic suggestions recited, the patient recites 
those given by the hallucinatory personality (v.s.), 
and knows nothing of the others. 

The therapeutic suggestions are given anew, and 
the pain and memory of the hallucinatory episode 
removed by suggestion. 

Transferred to I. the patient feels well and is 
cheerful. 

May II th. — Perfectly well until to-day under daily 
hypnosis with the therapeutic suggestions. In ll. 
the patient knows nothing of the hallucinatory 
occurrences removed by suggestion. Neverthe- 
less, the post-hypnotic, hallucinatory suggestion 
with reference to the confession at the confessional 
W is fulfilled to-day. 

The patient receives from the professor at her 
request permission to go to the church. 

At 4 o'clock P.M., with the beginning of the ful- 
filment of the hallucinatory, post-hypnotic sugges- 
tion, she passes into III., and accompanied by the 
attendant goes to the M church ; she seeks the 
confessional W, and kneels before it until 6:30 p. 
M.; when the priest, W., comes and takes his chair, 
she starts. She makes her confession and returns 
to the hospital cheerfully, and she thinks that she 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 



95 



ft 







would have been compelled to run 
away, if she had received no per- 
mission to go to church. 

She says it was peculiar in the 
church ; that she recognized the 
priest W. directly, and he her ; but 
that now she would no longer know 
him. 

To-day in II. post-hypnotic sug- 
gestion to go to the altar-room on 
the morrow at 4:15 p.m., and offer 
a prayer there. This suggestion is 
given for the purpose of showing 
the patient to the hearers in the 
clinic without causingf her emotion. 

May 12th. — The patient appears 
punctually for the performance of 
the post-hypnotic suggestion in 
III., and after its fulfilment becomes 
restless and anxious, and is quickly 
transferred to II. All possible sens- 
ory and auditory suggested experi- 
ments succeed in a satisfactory way. 

The patient writes (comp. p. 35) 
her name, when chano;ed into a 
seven-year-old school-girl, as shown. 

Incidentally, by means of inade- 
quate waking by counting three her- 
self, she is transferred to III., and 
she steals a watch ; transferred 
again to II., by stroking her fore- 
head, she knows nothing of the 
events of III. 



96 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

After a hypnosis of three hours the patient is 
ordered to go to her room. There the professor, 
after a renewal of the therapeutic suggestions de- 
stroyed by III., commands her to awake pleasantly 
as soon as he counts three. 

The patient awakes in I., and knows nothing of 
the events of the last three hours ; but she is ex- 
cited and irritated. A repetition of II. and reitera- 
tion of the therapeutic suggestions at length quiets, 
her, but the night is passed almost without sleep. 

May 14th. — The neurotrophic processes, under 
a simple bandage, pass to healing through the. 
changes mentioned in the previous experiments. 

To-day in II. question: "Where did you get 
this ugly red spot on the left side of your back ? " 
Answer : " You commanded it to me, while you 
pressed a plate there." 

Suggestion : "I command that this ugly red 
spot disappear as soon as possible, and the skin 
there become as white as before." The patient 
promises to fulfil this suggestion. 

May 1 7th. — Under daily repetition of this sugges- 
tion in IL, during which the spot is stroked with, 
the finger, to-day its color appears only rose-red as- 
a result of narrowing of the vessels. The infiltra- 
tion of the skin at the place of suggestion disap- 
pears, so that it no longer appears stretched, but 
wrinkled. The figfure below the left mamma con- 
tinues without signs of inflammatory reaction. The 
eroded spots, penetrating to the deeper layers of 
the corium, grow smaller, and skin begins to form 
over them from the abundant growth of epidermis 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 



97 



at their edges. Further visits by ghosts are for- 
bidden by suggestion. 

May 2 1 St. — To-day in II. the patient is trans- 
posed to earHer periods of life, and required to 
write her name. As a girl of five years she writes : 



OF SIX YEARS : 




OF SEVEN YEARS : 




ytjyiyt/^^. 



OF EIGHT YEARS ; 




^4/IAJu 



OF TEN YEARS: 




98 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 



OF FIFTEEN YEARS 




/9i/' 



C/yC'^t.^.'n^^/ty^ 



OF TWENTY YEARS 



May 24th. — To-day when II. Is attempted for 
the recitation of the therapeutic suggestions, it 
happens that the patient, before passing into II., 
does not raise her eyes to the physician. The ex- 
amination shows that the patient is indeed in II., 
but only incompletely, since she does not remember 
previous events in II. and in post-hypnotic sugges- 
tion, and cannot repeat the therapeutic suggestions, 
saying, at the request for them : "I have forgotten 
them." 

The patient is decidedly not perfectly en rapport 
with the physician, and does not follow his com- 
mands promptly. Of late she allows herself to 
pass into II. only unwillingly; for in state I. she 
knows nothing of the therapeutic significance of 
these sittings, as of the events of II. in general. 
(The following observation is proof of this : It is 
ascertained that she places small pieces of paper 
between her waist and underclothes before the 
morning visit. She had concluded from the fre- 
quent disarrangement of her toilet after the visit of 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 99 

the physicians that her waist was opened during- 
II. (actually for the purpose of examining the red 
spots and the wounds on the thorax). In order to 
be sure that this occurred, she prepared herself with 
small pieces of paper, which, falling out unnoticed 
in II, when her waist was opened, would make clear 
to her in I. that the waist was actually opened.) 

The patient's forehead is again stroked, and she 
is peremptorily commanded to look at the physi- 
cian. She obeys this order, and now, asked about 
the therapeutic suggestions, she recites them flu- 
ently, with the exception of the sleep-suggestion, 
the hours of which she is unable to recall. 

With reference to the patient's becoming com- 
pletely en rapport being dependent on her previ- 
ously looking at the experimenter, Dr. Kornfeld 
relates that, on March 15th, when he was com- 
pelled to hypnotize the patient on account of severe 
cardialgia, he was not successful in influencing her 
by suggestion, and in trying to have her recite the 
therapeutic suggestions. In II., when requested 
to speak about it, the patient said : " I cannot 
obey you, because I have not looked at you." 

Then she received the command from Dr. 
Kornfeld to awake, to look at him, and then again 
immediately to go to sleep. The patient obeyed, 
passed again into II., and at request unhesitatingly 
drawled out the customary therapeutic sugges- 
tions. She further received the command to 
sleep until seven p.m., and to awake, having no 
pain in her stomach. She promised to obey all 
punctually, and kept her word. 



100 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

May 30th. — Of late the patient has felt better 
than at any time since she came to Graz. Under 
a continuance of the therapeutic sug'gestions in II. 
every second or third day, the hystero-epileptic at- 
tacks do not occur, in spite of numerous brief attacks 
of violent emotion caused by another hystero-epi- 
leptic patient ; and auto-hypnotic attacks do not 
occur. Concerning the latter, the patient says that 
on May 28th she could look at a metal roof, shining 
in the sunlight, for a long time without going to 
sleep. She rejoices at this, but does not know its 
cause, and considers it a sign of spontaneous, en- 
couraging improvement in her disease. The sug- 
©■estion of chastity also operates satisfactorily. 

The patient no longer gives cause for the slight- 
est complaint in the ward on account of her perverse 
sexual feeling. Under the ban of suggestion, the 
appearance of ghosts does not again occur. There 
is no trace of tceditiin vitce ; so that with direct 
reference to the most troublesome and important 
symptoms of the disease, the therapeutic influence 
of suggestion is undeniable. 

Of late, however, this is, strange to say, no longer 
the case with the suggestion of sleep. This alone 
has dropped out of the series of therapeutic sug- 
gestions, seems forgotten, and not capable of being 
reproduced, when in II. the patient is asked for the 
suggestion ; and it is not retained, or only imper- 
fectly, when it is renewed, and also has no effect. 
Of late she has been sleepless at night, complaining 
much on that account, and she took amylhydrate 
thankfully, which operated favorably in a dose of 
4.0 gram. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. lOI 

The originally livid red spot caused by sugges- 
tion, having been influenced from time to time in 
II., is, since May 17th, only rose-red; otherwise it 
is unchanged, and its complete removal by way of 
suggestion remains questionable. 

Since the patient declines further hypnosis " in 
order to get perfectly well," the note-book is closed, 
and possible renewal of hypnosis reserved for even- 
tual pressingtherapeutic necessities (the overcoming 
of threatening attacks, etc.). 



Contrary to expectation, the note-book, which 
closed here in the first edition, was soon continued. 
The followins^" further observations claim a hig-h 
scientific interest, in that they give further explana- 
tions of the conditions of origin of II. and III., 
explain the inefficacy of the sleep suggested, and 
demonstrate an additional hypnotic state (fascina- 
tion) producible in the patient. 

June 2d. — The patient, who until this time has 
been quiet and orderly and manifested nothing 
peculiar, is found in state III. to-day at the morn- 
ing visit. She sits in her chemise at the table, her 
head resting on her hand, and clasps a holy image. 
She does not react to those about her and moves her 
head backward and forward. The mien is expres- 
sionless, as if sleeping ; the eyes are half-open and 
turned downward to the right, and glassy as if 
amaurotic. She is cataleptic, the left side of the 
body sensitive. Now and then slight tremor of the 
left upper extremity is noticed. 



102 AN BXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

It is apparently a state of peculiarly deep auto- 
hypnosis (III. 6). It is possible after a time tO' 
cause the patient to react in the usual way by hold- 
ing a watch to her left ear. By repeatedly speak- 
ing and calling to her, and taking hold of her, she 
is brought en rapport with the professor, while the 
assistant and attendant remain unapperceived. 

Taken to task, the patient says whiningly : " I 
have not been able to keep the commands." It is 
evident that by the occurrence of auto-hypnosis 
the memory of the therapeutic suggestions has been 
destroyed, though, as her words show, some trace 
still remains. 

In order to free her from this state, a transfer to 

II. is attempted. But the patient resists, and in 
spite of forcing her gaze and hard stroking of her 
forehead, it is impossible to transfer her to II. 
However, she obeys the command to go to bed^ 
and then lies apparently in a deepened state III., 
exactly as she was found at the beginning of the 
visit ; for at first she does not react either to the 
professor or to the watch. Only after long-con- 
tinued effort is the intensity of III. lessened and 
communication with the patient made possible. 
To simplify the situation the patient is ordered to 
count three and awake. As was to be expected, 
she awakes in the state of post-hypnotic sugges- 
tion corresponding with the less intense condition 

III. c. Now she knows every thing that has hap- 
pened to her in previous states of auto-hypnosis 
and post-hypnosis, but nothing of the therapeutic 
suggestions. 



/ / 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. IO3 

The patient has some will-power. She does not 
consent to the attempt to bring her into II. by 
means of stroking her brow ; and, since she cannot 
prevent the stroking, she at least avoids looking at 
the professor. She passes into a lower modifica- 
tion of II., and comes under the experimenter's 
control. To the question how she feels, she an- 
swers : " I do not feel well ; my head aches " ; and 
to the question, " Why did you not look at me ? " : 
" I did not have time to do it." 

However, that II. is incomplete and the patient 
only imperfectly under control psychically, is shown 
by the facts that the production of contractures is 
impossible and phonographic experiments fail. It 
is now said : " Miss I., I shall now put you to sleep 
in order to remove your headache. For this pur- 
pose I shall stroke your brow, and you will look at 
me fixedly and impress my image on your mind." 
Now the patient complies with the command. All 
is done as directed and the patient passes into the 
usual state II. Immediately contractures are suc- 
cessfully produced, and removed by centripetal 
stroking, and phonographic experiments succeed. 
The therapeutic suggestions are now given again. 
The patient repeats them, but the forbiddance of 
suicide is accepted with great displeasure. 

In the afternoon it is reported that the patient is 
in auto-hypnosis. Dr. Werner finds her in III. b, 
and tries to transfer her to II. by stroking her 
brow. By this means the intensity of III. is less- 
ened and communication with her made possible. 
The patient looks up, and says spontaneously to 



104 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

W. : "lima cannot obey W. before S. [a fellow- 
patient] has wakened her." It is ascertained that 
the patient S., led by a feeling of pity, has repeat- 
edly, during the afternoon, laid her hand on Ilma's 
forehead while she was complaining of headache, 
and thus apparently influenced her hypnotically. 
The patient S. is summoned and directed to sug- 
gest to lima : " I., wake up ; but allow yourself to 
be put to sleep again immediately by W." I. im- 
mediately follows this command of S., and now II. 
is easily produced by the physician. The patient 
receives the suggestion to sleep until 6 p.m., then 
to awake and take food, and thereafter to sleep 
quietly again. The patient awakes at 6 o'clock and 
■eats, but does not go to sleep again. 

June 4th. — To-day the patient is met in the garden 
at the morning visit, and en passant placed in state 
II., and during the transfer she does not look at the 
physician properly. However, she seems to be 
fully in II., and since the menses are active, and 
signs of sexual excitement are noticeable, at the 
repetition of the suggestions especial stress is laid 
on the suggestion of chastity. As a consequence 
of this the patient becomes angrily excited, a result 
never before observed. Since the professor is in 
haste three is counted quickly. The patient passes 
not into I., but into a kind of III. Dr. Kornfeld 
surmises that the counting was too rapid. With a 
renewed slow, solemn counting the patient passes 
into I. She is not amiable as usual, but angry and 
excited, and some hours later writes the following 
letter : 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 10$ 

"... When you put me to sleep in the garden 
this morning, it seemed to me as if I ought to 
speak, but I could not say what was in my mind. 
I heard and saw all that took place about me, but 
I had no power of movement. I could hear when 
you said to one of the physicians : ' This is some- 
thing new ; note that at the suggestion " to act 
with chastity " the patient was cross, and did not 
awake as usual at counting ' ; whereupon Dr. K. 
referred it to the circumstance that you had counted 
more quickly than usual. Thereupon you wakened 
me once more, and only thereafter did I get com- 
plete use of my limbs and will. I describe this to 
you so minutely that you may believe me and not 
consider it hallucination. By this incident much 
was made clear to me that previously I could not 
understand." 

She further denies, in bitter words, the charge 
of unchastity. The patient states verbally that she 
wassimply without will, and not unconscious of the 
external world ; that she heard all that was spoken 
around her, but did not understand in the least 
what it meant. 

June 5th. — Since the patient is sleepless and suf- 
fers much on this account, II. is produced to-day 
and especial stress laid on the sleep suggestion. 
The patient does not accept the suggestion, and 
when pressed explains her refusal in the following 
interesting way : When she obeys the suggestion 
referred to she is not in a natural but in an artificial 
(post-hypnotic-suggestive) sleep. When in this arti- 
ficial sleep she cannot fulfil an earlier suggestion, 



I06 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

viz., to allow nothing to be made on her skin. 
When she sleeps at the physician's command she is 
not in the proper state, and cannot keep the old 
man (hallucination in post-hypnotic state III.) 
from writinor on her skin aofain, as commanded. 
Since these two suggestions come in conflict, the 
sleep suggestion is not accepted. 

To the question as to what could be done to help 
her sleep well, the answer was obtained : " Then 
you must do as Professor Jendrassik." 

" How did he do it ?" 

" I cannot tell you. You must put me to sleep 
as Prof. J. did." 

" How did he do that ? " 

" I can only tell that if you command me." 

" I command you." 

The patient, with raised voice trembling with 
agitation, said : " He did it by means of fixed gaze, 
while he laid the magnet with his hand over it on 
my head ; but that hurt me very much." Now the 
patient accepts the first three therapeutic sugges- 
tions and repeats them ; thereafter she is trans- 
ferred to I., with the further suggestion to awake 
feeling well. 

June 7th. — The patient has passed sleepless 
nights in spite of morphine and chloral, and 
once in spite of amylhydrate (4.0 grammes). She 
deeply regrets the loss of the previously (sug- 
gested) good sleep, and does not know how to ex- 
plain her sleeplessness. 

In order to help her sleep, an attempt is made 
to-day to produce II., according to the patient's 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. lO/ 

directions. She resists at first. Since no masfnet 
is at hand, a magnet made from pasteboard is used. 
Scarcely has the patient, by means of fixed gaze 
and command to go to sleep (while the pretended 
magnet and experimenter's hand rest on her head), 
become influenced, when a new state, which has 
never before been observed in the patient, occurs — 
a modification of state III., which may be consid- 
ered 2JS, fascinatio7i. 

The patient keeps the eyes open, with her gaze 
firmly fixed on the experimenter's eyes, looks at 
him constantly, and imitates truthfully, as if forced, 
every gesture and movement the experimenter 
makes. 

To the question, " Why do you not sleep?" she 
answers : " Because the professor has not given 
lima the commands in such a way that she can get 
Avell." 

" How should I give the commands?" 

" Prof. K. should command lima that she must 
vnce fo7' all have no thought of suicide ; Prof. K. 
should further command lima that once for all s\\q 
must not get into a condition of irresponsibility, 
since she is not only irresponsible when she looks 
at shining objects, but also when she is passionate 
and angry ; and further. Prof. K. should say to 
lima that once for all she must have no attacks. 
The professor must command lima to do this, and 
she will sleep. You must not say that to me, but 
to lima." 

" Where is lima ? " 

" lima is in ^'our eye." 



I08 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

" What shall the professor do in order to have 
lima keep the commands ? " 

" The professor must give them to lima while 
stroking her across the brow, at the same time 
turning himself away." 

" Does lima hear, or do you ? " 

" I hear you ; lima is in the professor's eye." 

" Who are you ?" 

" Now I am nothing ; I am the image." 

" Do you wish to become lima again ?" 

"Yes, because I feel great pain in my eyes and 
head." 

"Cannot Professor K. command lima directly to 
sleep well ? " 

" The professor cannot do that, because he has 
already spoiled it ; because lima does not sleep 
naturally when she goes to slep at the professor's 
command." 

While imitating, as if forced, every gesture, 
grimace, and action of the experimenter, the pa- 
tient declares that she is incapable of a certain ac- 
tion that is done. " I am nothing ; I am the image 
in your eye. I cannot do it because my image is 
in your eye. I cannot take any commands ; lima 
can do that. lima alone can accept the orders. 
The eye hurts me very much." (The professor 
covers up his eyes with his hand.) " Professor K. 
covers up the image." (Patient becomes restless^ 
and anxious.) To the question how she came from 
Pesth to Graz, the patient answers : " lima can tell 
you that." 

"Did you take a watch away?" 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. IO9. 

" lima did that." 

" How long was lima In the convent ? " 

" lima will tell you that if you command her." 

" Do you wish to be changed into lima?" 

" Y es. 

Now the professor strokes the patient across the 
brow and tells her that he changes her to lima. 
State I. results immediately. 

The patient remembers simply that the professor 
has laid something on her head ; amnesia exists for 
the whole time of \.\i^ fascination. 

The patient is now, in the usual way and without 
opposition on her part, transferred to II. She does 
not recall the earlier commands. 

The suggestions are given to her word for word, 
as indicated by her and in the way she desired. She 
accepts them and is transferred to I. 

June 1 2th. — Menses again to-day (profuse). The 
patient has since been well and slept. To-morrow, 
in accordance with an order of the Hungarian Min- 
istry, she will be taken to an institution in her na- 
tive country. 

The patient wishes to remain, hoping to get well 
here. She says repeatedly that she cannot reconcile 
herself to the thought of being taken away. 

A consultation leads to the opinion that she can- 
not be taken to Pesth in state I. without the risk 
of violent hystero-epileptic attacks with further 
consequences. 

It is not possible to transport her in state II., 
since the physician hypnotizing her would be 
compelled to go with her In order to make the 



no AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

" statue " capable of movement ; and, besides, 
a sudden awakening during a railway journey 
of thirteen hours would be possible. Under these 
circumstances it seems the most humane and prac- 
tical to have the patient go away in state III., in a 
state of post-hypnotic suggestion, the same condi- 
tion in which she came here. Without exciting 
her suspicion, the patient is transferred to II. for 
this purpose. For the last time the late therapeu- 
tic suggestions according to her own directions are 
recited, and before the transfer to I. the following 
post-hypnotic suggestion is given : " To-morrow 
morning, at half-past six, you will prepare yourself 
for a journey, and set out quietly and pleasantly 
with a countryman for Pesth at half-past seven. As 
soon as you are taken to bed there you will awake 
in a pleasant mood." 

The patient accepts the suggestion without any 
psychical emotion whatever (9 o'clock a.m.), and is 
in good spirits until 2 p.m. Then she becomes de- 
pressed and speaks of forebodings, — a misfortune 
awaits her ; she surmises that she will depart to- 
morrow. (She supposes this from a rumor that 
papers concerning her have arrived from Pesth, and 
from a remark of one of the physicians : " You will 
not finish this work to-day.") 

In the afternoon the patient complains to Dr. K. 
about her being so very unfortunate — the house of 
correction, the asylum, or suicide being before her. 
She will struggle against the latter as long as she 
has the support of religion. When she reviews her 
past and thinks of her future, she seems to be the 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. Ill 

most unfortunate of all creatures. She shudders 
before to-morrow, because It is the anniversary of 
her father's death. Should she go to an asylum she 
would keep her oath (suicide?). It is possible to 
calm her and divert her thoughts. She asked for 
amylhydrate (4.0 grammes) and went to sleep at 
1 1 o'clock P.M. 

June 13th. — The patient slept well until 5 a.m., 
awoke in good spirits, and made herself ready for a 
journey at 6.30, and took leave without any espe- 
cial emotion, thanking for all favors, and asking 
pardon for all her faults and mischief. She is then 
introduced to the man who is to go with her, and she 
leaves the hospital with him at 7:30, according to 
programme, and drives to the station. 

That the patient was not in I. from the beginning 
of the post-hypnotic suggestion, is shown from the 
fact that she set out in a purely business-like way, 
without any emotion, without asking about her des- 
tination, and without a word of farewell for the pro- 
fessor, whom she had not seen since Monday. 

She seemed in this state to be completely under 
"another's will," and fulfilled the directions given 
to her absolutely without exercising criticism and 
reflection. It is remarkable that she said to the 
sister before departing that she felt it was well that 
she was then not in a normal state. The hypnotic 
expression of her mien, which was at any rate 
altered, struck all observers. 

At the station she noticed Dr. Hellwig. When 
she cauofht sig-ht of him she excused herself for not 
having taken leave of him at the hospital, doing 



112 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

this formally, and thanking him for his care ; then 
she entered the train in a pleasant mood. 

To the observer at the station the patient seemed 
in no way peculiar except for a dreamy expres- 
sion of countenance and a fixed, amaurotic stare. 

At least she was not in I., but rather in a pecu- 
liar psychical state (III. c), as a result of the 
post-hypnotic command, analogous to the previous 
states of post-hypnotic suggestion, but which allowed 
quite extensive room for spontaneous action. Un- 
der the external will she sought under exact direc- 
tion to attain the destination indicated, without 
capability to exercise reflection and criticism con- 
cerning the action suggested to her, though during 
its performance she was capable of other acts, both 
spontaneous and deliberate. 

From the report of the journey by the attendant 
(asylum supervisor) it is ascertained that the patient 
did not learn where she was being taken, thought 
nothing of the fact that she was travelling with an 
asylum attendant, and on arrival at the asylum 
(though a place of horror to her while in I.) did 
not ask at all where she was or wonder about the 
new surroundings. She took every thing naturally 
and felt quite comfortable. The patient was still 
in this condition the following days, so that the 
supposition is strengthened that with the fulfilment 
of the post-hypnotic suggestion she had not re- 
turned to I., but was still longer in a state III. 
under the lasting psychical influence of the experi- 
menter. 

That during the journey the patient was not in 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. II3 

State I., is probable from the facts that even in her 
own country she spoke German and not Hungarian 
with the people ; that she was very talkative, relat- 
inof different events of her life while in states of 
III. ; that contrary to her custom in state I., she 
made obscene remarks, among others, that she con- 
sidered the unfaithfulness of so many women to 
their husbands to be entirely right ; and that she 
smoked lo cigars one after another ! 

Among other things the patient expresses her 
wonder that she knew only in the morning that she 
had travelled and where. 

On the 2 1 St of July, Dr. Bolyo, of Pesth, under 
whose observation and care the patient was up to 
that time, had the kindness to send me the follow- 
inof notes about her : 

" The conduct of our patient is up to this time 
blameless. With the exception of the hemianses- 
thesia she presents absolutely nothing pathological. 
She has had no attack since she has been here, and 
her consciousness has not been interrupted. Appe- 
tite good and bowels in perfect order. Her sleep 
has been always good. Psychically she presents 
nothinp- abnormal whatever. Menstruation has oc- 
curred twice up to this time perfectly regular 

Since she has been here no experiments whatever 
have been made with hypnosis. We ignore entirely 
the statements which the patient makes about the 
hypnotic experiments of which she was the subject in 
Graz. We shall wait until the patient presents such 
pathological conditions as to make it seem necessary 
and desirable to employ hypnosis therapeutically." 







114 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 



The patient's physician very kindly reports on: 
November 20, 1888, that her mental state still con- 
tinues favorable, and that with the exception of an 
occasional manifestation of perverse sexual feeling, 
she gives cause for no complaint. She is said to be 
industrious, obedient, and free from hysterical con- 
vulsions ; to sleep well and menstruate regularly ; 
and to feel mentally and physically well with the 
exception of an obstinate chronic gastric catarrh. 

Up to this time no occasion for the employment 
of hypnotic influence had arisen. 

Whether this favorable change of her condition 
depend on an intermission of the neurosis or on a ^ 
cessation of the hypnotic experiments, or whether u 
it be the result of the auto-suggestive obedience of 
the commands given in hypnosis on June 7th, must 
remain undetermined. 

It is nevertheless remarkable that all should have 
happened as suggested, except with regard to the 
perverse sexual feeling, which was overlooked in 
the suggestions. 

Were this the true signification, the therapeutic 
value of correct suggestions would receive further 
confirmation. 

Then, in case of renewed disturbance of her 
favorable condition, the repetition of the sug- 
gestive commands given the patient on June 7th, 
in accordance with her own direction, would offer 
hope of a possible recovery, and seem to be the 
duty of a physician. 



I - 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 



115 



CONCLUSIONS. 

The person used in the foregoing hypnotic ex- 
periments, on account of her neurosis {hysteria 
gravis), and her pecuHar condition, is in a high 
degree capable of transfer to hypnotic states. As 
such, a state of catalepto-somnambuHsm (II.) and 
one of auto-hypnosis may be produced experiment- 
ally at any time. (III.) 

In the relatively normal and lucid state (I.) the 
patient presents the symptomatic picture and con- 
dition of hysteria gravis, with its usual neurotic and 
psychical functional disturbances. 

By means of certain procedures it is very easy to 
transfer the patient to state II. These procedures 
(stroking of the forehead, pressure on the eyes, 
fixed gaze, simple command, etc.) must depend 
upon suggestion (sensory, auditory), and primarily, 
for their effect, rest upon a purely psychical im- 
pression. 

This is only possible when the patient is in accord 
with the experimenter's will. 

It is remarkable that at the occurrence of hyp- 
notic influence she usually raises her eyes to the 
experimenter, taking his image, so to speak, into 
the darkness of the unknown hypnotic state. If 
the purely mental and suggestive manner of 
origin of II. be thus shown, it is still more clearly 
demonstrated when it is remembered that the in- 



Il6 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

tensity of II. and the experimenter's domination of 
the subject of the experiments depend entirely on 
the intimateness of accord between subject and 
experimenter. In this way is explained the im- 
perfect result in the case of inadequate procedures 
in the attempt to induce hypnosis (stroking with a 
brush, instead of with the hand); in case of acci- 
dental or intentional failure to gaze at the experi- 
menter ; the difficulty of production of II. for 
others, and the incompleteness of the influence of 
such a one in comparison with that of the usual 
experimenter, etc. (Compare observations of June 
4th.) In II. the patient's cortex is in a condition of 
great inhibition, to the exclusion of spontaneous 
apperception. However, perceptions are possible 
in the domain of the acttsticus, and of cutaneous 
sensibility on the left side of the body. There 
are no proofs of their elaboration to appercep- 
tions. Moreover, by reason of the great inhibition 
of the sensory regions of the cortex, it is not to be 
presumed. 

Perception is limited to auditory and painful 
impressions, and the simple reflexes induced by 
these. The experimenter is able usually to over- 
come this inhibition by means of suggestion. This 
remarkable influence is possible only to him. The 
avenues of suggestion are the sensory and auditory. 
Through such suggestion the experimenter can at 
anytime unlock any region of the cortex desired, — 
i. e., free it from inhibition. The brain mechanism 
standing in virtual relation with the command then • , 

works with extreme exactness, but only as long and A 



/ 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. WJ 

■as far as it is suggestively influenced. The precision 
and logic with which the psychical side of this 
mechanism operates, are remarkable. An indistinct, 
equivocal, illogical suggestion causes confusion and 
uncertainty. Only suggestions given with perfect 
precision are faultlessly fulfilled. 

Left to herself, the patient seems, by reason of 
the great inhibition, devoid of all spontaneity. She 
resembles a statue, and nothing in her mien be- 
tokens that mental operations, even in the form of 
dreams, are occurrino-. 

When this statue is given life by suggestion, the 
absence of higher mental functions (judgment, 
criticism, will, etc.) is striking. She resembles La 
Mettrie's "I'homme machine"; she is purely an 
automaton. In this condition she is an instrument 
without will in the hands of the experimenter, op- 
position at most being superficial emotional excite- 
ment, easily removed by suggestion. This holds 
true only for the fully developed state II. If it 
be incompletely developed, the inhibition is incom- 
plete, and will, apperception, etc., are not entirely 
held in check ; and amnesia in I. for the events of 
II. is wanting. (Compare June 4th.) In these in- 
completely developed states of II. the usual experi- 
menter, however, is not the unconditional ruler of 
psychical mechanism of the subject, and is unable 
to produce contractures, phonographic experi- 
ments, etc. 

If the patient be in complete hypnosis (II.) the 
experimenter's power over her is unlimited. The 
states and changes (transfer) suggestively induced 



Il8 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

by him, exist, however, only for him ; they are 
psychical, subjective, not objective. 

The regions of cortex set free by suggestion are 
very impressionable. Since the nervous paths and 
sense organs show themselves not to be hyper- 
sesthetic, the increased impressionability can only be 
regarded as central (psychical). 

The purely psychical significance of this change 
is shown by the fact that only stimuli coming from 
the experimenter, and only after her attention has 
been awakened by suggestion, are perceived. This, 
among other things, is evident from the fact that 
only the experimenter is able to produce and re- 
move- contractures through the path of sensory 
cutaneous reflex, and only he is able, apparently 
through the paths of muscular sense, to produce 
mimical expressions of countenance by placing her 
in plastic attitudes. And, notwithstanding its 
power to produce spasms in II. and the preponder- 
ance of the effect of the south pole over that of the 
north pole, the magnet is effective only in the ex- 
perimenter's hand. 

At all events, this effect is reflex by way of the 
sensory nerves of the skin, since on the anaesthetic 
side it is nil. The central organs forming the 
medium for this effect seem to be exhaustible by 
long-continued impression. The renewal of their 
activity, for example, by means of transfer, induces 
increase of excitability. From a consideration of 
all the facts, it is evident that the basis of the ex- 
periments is a psychical factor between the patient 
and the experimenter. In other words, every thing 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 1 19 

results through suggestion, and the ways by which 
it is possible are the auditory and sensory (cutane- 
ous and muscular) paths. 

The extraordinary increase of the impressiona- 
bility of the centres is shown, among other things, 
by the circumstance that after manipulations with 
the magnet, bodies not magnetic have, in the hands 
of the experimenter, the power to produce spasms, 
and also by the fact that the patient does not 
simply perceive the strokes on the gong made by 
another, but is unpleasantly affected by them. 

Still more remarkable seems the fact of the possi- 
bility of successful suggestion in centres and paths 
which in any case are not influenced by the con- 
scious will in the normal psychical condition. Thus 
the possibilities of affecting bodily functions by 
unconscious psychical activities are pointed out, 
which are of the hiofhest interest and of o^reat sie- 
nificance for pathological nervous conditions. 

Many of these suggestions, as, for example, the 
production of goose-skin by suggestive conception 
of cold, the suggestion of sleep, the induction of 
stools, etc., occur within physiological latitude, or 
find there, at least, their analogies. Many others 
are every-day symptoms with nervous patients, 
viz., hysterical persons, who have paralysis of 
extremities, blindness, deafness, and the like, as a 
result of auto-sueeestion, and are often freed from 
the most various functional sufferings by sugges- 
tion in the non-hypnotic state on the part of the 
physician, often with the help of placebos and the 
like. 



I20 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

The results of suggestions in the domain of the 
vasomotor and trophic nerves and the heat-regulat- 
ing centres remain for present science inexplicable. 
That these effects are not simply possible by means 
of the psychical influence (command) of the experi- 
menter, but also that they may be a result of hallu- 
cinatory suggestion, is taught by the experiences of 
May 5th. They form a bridge to the domain of 
auto-suo^orestive influence over the functions of the 
body, the occurrence of which within the limits of 
neuro-pathology {e. g., in hysterical patients in the 
form of bloody sweat, stigmata, etc.) cannot be 
doubted, but is still too little appreciated. 

We have experimented with these suggestions 
often enough with every precaution to be able to 
vouch for the correctness of the results. Many 
others failed, as, for example, suggestion in the 
region of the nerves of the heart and the paralysis 
of the effect of medicaments by suggestion. I am 
not prepared to assert that they could not succeed 
with another patient. The distant effect of medica- 
ments proved to be an error. 

We did not concern ourselves further with ex- 
periments as to a possible transposition of sense, 
since until now it has shown itself as error and self- 
deception, and is opposed to the elementary laws of 
physiology. 

We also put clairvoyance aside, since it contra- 
dicts one of the first principles of empirical psy- 
chology, and an increase of the patient's mental 
functions was in no way observed. The single 
experiment with a ''suggestion mentale''' for the 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 121 

divining of the experimenter's thoughts by the 
patient was a fiasco, /. e., had to be given up ; for 
the patient fatigued herself painfully, and was in 
danger of having a hystero-epileptic attack. The 
supposition that, in all cases where mental sugges- 
tion is said to have succeeded, a self-deception 
through unintentional suggestions on the part of 
the experimenter played a role^ seems to me 
authorized. 

The suggestions with reference to the transforma- 
tion of the personality, the creation of hallucinatory 
situations and false perceptions, astounding as they 
may be to the laity and interesting as they may be 
to psychiatrical science as experimental productions, 
claim the least general scientific interest, since, with 
auto-suggestion of dreams and insanity, they offer 
many analogies. The influence of these psycho- 
suggestive effects always remains remarkable from 
a therapeutic point of view. A free and, for the 
patient with whom we were concerned, not unim- 
portant use was made of this therapeutic factor. 

The early failure of their effect, their destruction 
by states of III. voluntarily produced or by hystero- 
epileptic attacks, would compel the greatest skepti- 
cism as to their therapeutic value, if numerous 
cases in the experience of others and in my own 
did not prove it. I regard hypnotic suggestion as 
a valuable addition to the therapeutics of functional 
nervous diseases. 

One symptom in the domain of suggestion of 
changed personality seems to me to be worthy of 
further mention. When changed into a school- 



122 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

girl, the patient writes quite otherwise than at 
present. Specimens of the patient's handwriting 
during her school-days are unfortunately not at my 
command, but one has not far to go in supposing 
that the handwriting of the patient when changed 
to a school-girl by suggestion actually corresponds 
with that of her school-days ; and that the lately 
made assertion, that the memory of psycho-physical 
phases of life, which have long become a part of 
the past, can again become active under favoring 
circumstances, is true. 

A further III. modification of the patient's psy- 
chical action could be experimentally induced by 
transferring her by means of unusual (inadequate) 
procedures from II. (experimental hypnosis) to I., 
or from I. to II. 

In this state (III. a) the mental inhibition is not 
so complete as in experimental hypnosis (II.). The 
patient is capable of perceptions (especially audi- 
tory and optic), and hears and sees other persons 
than the experimenter ; but in this state everything 
takes place in a state of dreamy consciousness. At 
all events, spontaneity, will, and clear appercep- 
tion are also wanting here. In this state optic and 
auditory stimuli become dangerous to the patient, 
since she possesses herself automatically of the 
objects from which they arise (silver-plate, watches, 
and the like), and thus becomes an unconscious thief. 

This state, however, can also arise spontaneously 
(auto-hypnosis) from I. as a result of looking at 
shining objects, as, for example, from looking at 
knitting-needles while knitting. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 123 

This state of auto-hypnosis represents a modifi- 
cation {b) of the foregoing state (III. a) experiment- 
ally produced, in that the inhibition in extent 
approaches that of II. Here, too, the paths of 
excitation are only the auditory, and, in so far as 
shining objects were the occasion of the auto-hyp- 
nosis, the optic. Thus thefts are possible. Only 
in this direction is an automatic, unconscious, but 
at the same time complicated and precise, action 
possible. 

Of the greatest, /. c, forensic, interest is the 
fact empirically discovered with this patient, that, 
as soon as she undertakes to carry out a post-hyp- 
notic action commanded in II., so far as it involves 
a state or a complicated action, she passes into 
auto-hypnosis ; that is, the suggestion has a hypno- 
tizinof effect as soon as it becomes actual. 

By this fact, which I could also prove in other 
cases, the unhindered, blind, and unopposed per- 
formance of the experimenter's commands, is ex- 
plained. In this state of post-hypnotic, suggestive 
auto-hypnosis, the patient resembles a somnambulist 
actuated by fixed ideas. Here, too, the greatest 
precision exists in the performance of the suggested 
action. 

Without the circle of ideas opened by sugges- 
tion, darkness exists, or psychical activity is limited 
to simple perception. 

In this state of post-hypnotic auto-hypnosis, how- 
ever, the inhibition is less than in III. a and b ; so 
that it deserves to be differentiated as a modifica- 
tion (r) of state III. However, that these three 



124 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

modifications are related phases of one and the 
same state, is shown by the fact that memory 
exists for the events in the different modifications. 

With the completion of the post-hypnotic sug- 
gestion I. gradually returns. This change is very 
painful, going so far as to induce a feeling of losing 
the understanding, since III. episodically interrupts, 
the continuity of existence in I,, and the patient, 
unconscious of the situations produced in III., 
is unable to find any reason and explanation for 
them. 

This painful situation can be avoided by bringing- 
the patient into the previous situation from which, 
during II., she passed into III., and then returning 
her to the stahis qiw ante by transfer to I. 

The transfer to II. from all three states is effected 
by the same means as that from I. to II., and is a. 
valuable aid in quickly overcoming states of III. 
arising spontaneously. 

The purely psychical origin and significance of Il- 
ls placed In a clear light by the fact that the trans- 
fer to I., though possible only to the experimenter, 
is brought about easily in a purely psychical way 
(suggestion) ; and that, however, a direct sugges- 
tion by the experimenter Is necessary when III. Is 
not to be induced instead of I. {e. g., counting three 
himself, the patient not counting). 

Further, it is remarkable that post-hypnotic sug- 
gestions In III. are not effectual. 

Frequently repeated experimentation makes it 
evident that the three different states of conscious- 
ness, which may be observed and Induced in the 



THE DOM A TV OF HYPNOTISM. I 25 

patient, exist, typically congruous and apparently 
regular, under identical conditions. Therein, at 
any rate, lies one of the most important proofs of 
the genuineness of these states and of the absence 
of simulation. 

But it is further evident that these three differ- 
ent states of consciousness have absolutely nothing 
in common, save that they are observed in one and 
the same person. 

These three different spheres of consciousness 
never intersect — each has its own memory, with the 
exception of state III. c, the events of which, aris- 
ing from post-hypnotic suggestion given in II. are 
again remembered in II. Thus a triple conscious- 
ness is exhibited, each founded on a nervous mech- 
anism of a peculiar kind. 

Thus the patient represents three psychical ex- 
istences : in I. that of an ordinary hyslero-epileptic 
with complete clearness of consciousness; in II. 
that of one found in a state of gfreat inhibition or 
sleep, but who can be partially awakened at will 
and be impelled to mechanical, automatic action of 
the greatest precision by suggestion ; in III., that 
of a somnambulist, capable of spontaneous action 
within a limited mental sphere as a result of auto- 
suggestive or post-hypnotic ideas suggested by a 
third person, but depending on a dreamily deep- 
ened consciousness. 

In this condition she occasionally becomes an in- 
nocent thief. But she also stands in danger of be- 
coming at any time the involuntary instrument of 
the intellectual projector of a crime. 



126 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

That this patient's possibilities of reaction to 
hypnotic influence are not exhausted by II. and 
the different states of III., is shown by the experi- 
ments of June 7, 1888. In that instance, as a 
result of psychical influence differing from that 
previously employed, she passed into a state not 
before observed in her, the so-called fascination 
(Donato, Bremaud). In the present state of our 
knowledge it is only permissible to record the ob- 
served facts, especially since the circumstances do 
not allow a renewed production of them for the 
purpose of more accurate study. It is not possible 
to determine whether this " fascination " was an 
incomplete state II. or a state III. In this state, 
where the patient feels herself to be a pure autom- 
aton, as absent from her body, and knows herself 
only as the image in the experimenter's eye, the 
disappearance of the consciousness of personality is 
of great interest. 

The greatest skeptic with regard to hypnotism 
can have no reason to think of fraud in this case. 
It is hoped that the preceding observations and 
report possess value as unprejudiced scientific in- 
vestigation, and that they warrant discussion. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 12/ 



A FINAL WORD. 

Nowadays every one knows that hypnotism does 
not depend on so-called animal magnetism, but on 
a psychical (moral) influence, which the experi- 
menter or physician exercises over the hypnotic 
subject. The preceding study offers exhaustive 
proof of the correctness of this view. 

In 1 784 the French Academy of Sciences, through 
its secretary, Bailly, contended for the present stand- 
point of knowledge with relation to the phenomena 
of hypnotism. I cannot forbear to reproduce the 
following significant paragraph in the report ' of 
that famous investigator, Bailly, taken from Arago's 
memoirs of him, delivered in the French Academy 
of Sciences in 1844: " In searching for an imagi- 
nary cause for animal magnetism, the actual power 
which man exercises over his fellow-beings without 
the immediate and evident intervention of a physi- 
cal agent, is recognized." Bailly has shown " that 
the simplest movements of the hands and signs 
have very powerful effects ; indeed, that the power 
of man over the imagfination can be elaborated to 
an art, at least in relation to such persons as believe 
in the possibility of such things." 

With this citation from Bailly's report, Arago 
makes this acute remark : " Finally this work has 

' " Franz Arago's Collected Works," published by Hankel, Leipzig, 1854, 
-vol. II., p. 242. 



128 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN 

shown in what way our powers must be investi- 
gated by experiment, and how some day it will be 
possible for psychology to become numbered among 
the exact sciences." 

One might think that the road for the advance- 
ment of so-called hypnotism to a place in moral 
therapeutics would have been smoothed by ob- 
servations like these by such prominent men of 
science ; that psychology would have striven to 
avail itself of this important empirical means for 
the promotion of its own progress. 

To those conversant with the late history of 
medicine and psychology, it is painful to realize 
that this domain of science remained in the hands 
of charlatans and dilettanti, until Braid, by modest 
beginnings in 1841, then Charcot and the investi- 
gators of Nancy, in the '70's, laid with scientific 
exactness the foundation of the present theory of 
hypnotism. Thus it happened that medical and 
psychological science, ever so anxious to become 
exact, passed by without attention for almost one 
hundred years psychological facts which are destined 
to win in the future a significant place, and which 
already claim in a most prominent way the interest 
of the public and scientific world. 

I trust that Arago's utterance' may reach those 
who still stand opposed to the facts of hypnotism : 

" I cannot approve the mystery with which those 
really learned men that are now experimenting with 
somnambulism surround themselves. Modesty be- 
gets doubt, and has seldom obstructed the forward 

' op. cii., p. 254. 



THE DOMAIN OF HYPNOTISM. 1 29 

march of science ; but the same cannot be said of 
unbeUef. He who uses the word impossible with- 
out the sphere of pure mathematics is at least care- 
less. As soon as one is concerned with the living 
organism, caution becomes a duty." 
Thus Arago judged in 1844. 






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